Support Groups - Movin' & Losin' Part 12

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Good Morning Chickies and you are all very welcome to our new home.
This is a good time of the year for movin' as this is the time when most people decide that they are going to be healthy.
For years I have been trying to lose this extra weight ......... more years than I care to remember ........ since I was in my 20's!! I am now 52!! The only time I got to a lower weight was when I got married in 1978. I weighed 142 pounds. I have joined WW numerous times and I always lost some weight at the start but then I found that I was getting into the habit of starving myself for the 2/3 days before weighin and pigging out the night after weighin.This always happened so I have given up slimmimg clubs. I know they do work for a lot of people but I am not a suitable candidate for them. My heaviest weight was 174. I am now 158.5 and coming down gradually.
I know I am going to lose this weight this time because I got a health scare with my Blood Pressure being up. I thought I was setting myself up to have a heart attack so 2 ways of lowering it are to lose weight and exercise more.
So I had to cut out most of the junk food, especially biscuits, and eat mainly healthy foods. I have a large bowl of porridge for my breakfast every morning now as it only has a trace of salt. I have sandwiches for lunch, a good dinner in the evening and a bowl of cereal at suppertime. In between I eat lots and lots of fruit and try to drink 2 litres of water.
I thought I could not live without my treats but I can. I do have some at times but not every day ........... maybe just at the weekend. The weight is coming off slowly but it is coming off.
I try and get for a walk every day at sometime and maybe even twice a day. I go linedancing once a week and I am trying to get into the habit of doing TaeBo regularly.
So what I am trying to say is think of your health ........ don't wait for something to go wrong before you start to eat healthy. You only get one chance at living this wonderful life you have been given. Don't let the food control you because none of us are happy when that is happening. We only need food to nourish our bodies We would not even dream of putting bad fuel into our cars so why should we give our bodies bad fuel. We have only been given one body in this life and we should treat it with the love and respect it deserves.






Fill this moment

This moment will pass by quickly. Yet before it goes, you can make it golden. You can sit there and watch this moment become forever lost. Or you can put yourself into this moment and make it forever yours.
This is a moment waiting to be lived. Imagine what can happen when you fill it with love, commitment, courage, and focused effort.

It is just a moment. And yet in this moment is truly everything you are, and the birth of everything you can become. If you waste this moment, you waste the most precious things you have. Instead, fill this moment, and the next and the next, with the best you can be, and there is no limit to what it can bring you.

This moment is yours to use, but only if you use it now, while it's here. Fill it with value and meaning before you send it on its way.

-- Ralph Marston

Thank you for the new home. Your are right about the bad things that we put into our bodies. Why is that we do that. I too have battled with my weight what seems like my whole life. Trying to lose weight for somebody else or for some occasion that is coming up. In the last few months I have decided that I am doing this for me and me alone because if I don't look after myself I won't be here to look after anyone else. Well I must go it is another day off school today so I don't have much time with the kids running around to stay on here long. Have a wonderful day. ;)

Hello ladies,

It's been a long week. I still have not been able to stick one full day on SBD. It's just so hard to get back on track. Things have been hetic this week here at work & I wasn't able to post everyday.

Hope everyone is doing well...

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Good Sunday Morning Everyone!

I found the new home, and see everyone is sleeping in the cold and rainy January weekend. Me toooooooooooooo!!! I am off work tomorrow for the Martin Luther King Holiday - but will use that day to catch up on unfinished work (paper for class I took an incomplete in last semester).

So far, I am not OP as I was right though Thansgiving. It must be the cold, dark winter blues thing. I am getting ready to go meet friends for lunch and a movie. So this has to be quick.

Thanks Mooz for the new home. I bet Thin is a travelin woman these days? Nita how are you? What about the last Dr. Phil show? He is losing weight but saying nothing - notice? OneDay how is school? Catlover you are kind of quiet these days? Michellez ya still with us? LittleChick, you are our cheer leader, and we need a lift these days! I hope I have not forgotten anyone...

All the best...!!!! :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer:

Good Evening Mooz,

Thanks for setting us up in a "new" and "cherry" home! I totally agree with you we can all start out fresh! I, like yourself, have been fighting this weight since I was 8 years old. And I can tell you growing up as a "fat" child can be most devastating! I never really lost weight until I was in my senior year of high school. It seems like only yesterday but it was 50 years ago. With all these new diet programs coming out it is so confusing. I did go for my physical on Friday and had only gained 2 lbs. since I seen her in October and she said that was great considering I went through the holidays. Also my blood pressure was 138 over 70 which means I beat the White Coat Syndrone this time. I told her about being frustrated because I want to lose at least 15 more lbs. and her advice was to do WW and start measuring my portions and cutting down the size of those portions. She said she did not approve of the different "fad" diets out on the market. She also advised me to take 1 baby aspirin a day. I still need to do the mamo and have a blood test and urine analysis.

Halgal -- You know I thought there was something different about Dr. Phil but now that you mention it he does look like he, too, is losing weight. For some reason I still think his wife is not an easy person to live with, however, they seem to get along quite well. Aren't you amazed at the guy that has lost 88 lbs. That is truly awesome. I have tried to converse on their message boards but have not been successful talking directly to any of the weight challengers. Tomorrow he is having a woman who lost, I believe 108 lbs., without going on a diet. This should be very interesting. American idol is coming on at the same time so I am going to tape Dr. Phil and watch him later. I am also reading his first book and I find it very slow reading!

Well I had better get moving I still have to do the treadmill this evening because I have not done it since Thursday.

Take care ladies.
Anita

Sorry I've been out of touch. Had some trouble posting--not sure why--and then got discouraged.

I have MLK Day off, and maybe that will be a good time to get back on track. Tho I haven't been eating as I should, I've done pretty well on my exercise--and my blood sugar was 100--hooray!!

Went to writing workshop today, which was really worthwhile. Hope to get back to more writing. I have been journaling more than before.

Well, need to get to bed.

Think I will have to take this looking for a new job thing seriously. I am thinking of hiring someone to do my resume--I just can't seem to find time.

Mooz--WTG on the wt loss!!

Good night and good dreams--
Catlover

Hello Ladies,
The weather has turned cold here, but nothing like up north. Our high was around 40, but the winds chill bring it down to 33..We got alot of rain this past weekend, but we really needed it.

Still trying to get back on track... it's kinda of hard too when I just purchased a 1/2 gal of ice cream..this weekend I was busy with cleaning out closets & just junk that I have collected.

Oh, Oprah was having a weight loss show today too...

need to run...

Hi chickies nice to see us back and posting....although I have the hardest time finding us. I have been OP for over two weeks now and I am done 5 pounds. I wish it was more but slow and steady wins the race. I too have had a struggle off and on since high school but I guess this time I want to do it for me and not for someone or something else. Well chicks I have to go I didn't sleep much last night and I am seeing double I am so tired. Good night.

Hello Ladies,
The weather is still cold here, i'm ready for some sunshine. I have always wondered if i had that "SAD"... i'm not really sure what it stands for, It has to do with no sunshine... in the winter i get the blues...
Still trying to get OP...i'm been having some pains in my side, & I went to the doctor thinking it could be my gallbladder, they sent me in for a sonogram, so I should get results by friday. I also have a dr appointment with my gastro doc, to see what all is going on.

LittleChick - WTG for being OP for two weeks... so now you are on phase 2...and WTG for losing 5 lbs... YOU GO GIRL...

Did anyone see OPRAH yesterday? it was about the getting with the program with Bob Green... apparently he has a 12 week program... Oprah was funny... I heard some excerpts where she said it's only taken me 10 years to get here & now you come out with a 12 week program"..... my mom recorded it for me, so I will probably see it this week sometime...

Hope everyone is having a OP day!

LC--good for you! 5 lb is good.

1day--hope you get good results on the test. SAD is Seasonal Affective Disorder. You can get special light bulbs that say they help--don't know if that is enough or if you need more. Anyway, the dr should be able to diagnose it, and thank goodness it's quite treatable. Could be a lot worse.

Well, going to lose my job unless I can cut my talk time. Heck, I am a speech major--I always talked too much. I may pay someone to do my resume--I can't seem to find the time.

MLK holiday went by, and I am no more caught up.

Anyone hear the President? I went to a party with fellow peaceniks--not a very receptive crowd.

G'night all.

Catlover

Good Mornin' chickies1 Just a quick call before work. I have not had a lot of time recently to be on the computer. My new digital camera has arrived and I have been trying to figure out all the buttons etc., on it! :?:
I did not lose any weight last week and I am going out for a meal with the linedancers on Thursday night so that will not help this weeks weighin but there will be other weeks!
Sinead has booked her holiday to Australia. She is going there with her best friend at the beginning of June. They will be there for about 8 weeks. Lucky girls! :dizzy:
Better go get ready for work.



The choices you make

Many of the things that bring you down are of your own choosing. You choose them because you assume there's nothing better available to you, but there always is something better.
Many of the things that bring you down are just old habits that you've never managed to break. You assume they are a permanent part of you, but they are not.

Sure it takes some effort to find and make better choices. Yet those choices are indeed there, and once you begin to find a few, a whole lot more will suddenly pop into view.

Yes, it takes time and commitment to overcome a destructive habit. Once you do it, though, you'll feel like you can take on just about any challenge, and you'll be right.

Think about who you really are, and what you truly want to do with your life. Let your best vision of who you are, and of who you can be, guide the choices that you make every moment.

Life can be easy, haphazard and empty, or it can be focused, directed and full. The choices you make will make you who you choose to be.

-- Ralph Marston

morning gals.....lt is lovey and sunny here today a little chilly but sunny none the less. 1day- I hope all is well with your gallbladder. I will keep my fingers crossed, I have heard more and more lately about SAD I wonder if it has to do with the fact that people are not outside doing playing like they used to in this day of technology. Mooz your lucky daughter I hope she has a wonderful trip. I would love to go there DH cousin who is in his late 20's is over there teaching. Well I must go talk to ya all later.

Hello Chickies~~~~~~
I have sure missed you all. Finally found a good time in the morning to get one of the 4 computers that they offer at the RV park we live at. They now have the antenna on the roof for the wireless computers, so getting a laptop is sure on the top of the list now. But we both might fight over it too much, DH & I that is!! :lol:

~~MOOZ~~That is awesome that Sinead will be able to travel to Australia. That is a place i always thought i'd like to see. That and the farthest north state of Alaska. I've been to Hawaii, so i feel pretty lucky there. It was awesome. And now getting to spend winters in such lovely temps i better start moving my butt and walking more. There are lots of walkers, and some go in the workout room to get it done on the treadmill. since today could rain(and did rain overnite)...that room will probably be busier than usual.

I am eating ALOT better that is for sure. The produce is cheap and good, and i have had salad everyday for lunch for 4 days running. RED BELL PEPPERS 2 for $1.00. YEAH! Last night we had salmon fillets, brown rice and green beans. I found a larger one of those grills(not a foreman, but it's by sunbeam). It was the last one at Wallyworld and had no book w/it, but it was $5.00. So every night now i have grilled our supper. We had boneless pork the night before and hamburgers before that. I have been cutting the bread WAY back. Like with my hamb. i had one with only 1/2 bun and the other burger just plain. I sure hope it is helping. Now for the exercise.... ;)
They have a pretty good scale in the workout room, so i will go and weigh in tomorrow early.

~~~1DAY~~Sending good wishes to you for a happy outcome from your tests. I wanted to watch the Oprah show, but i am still getting confused with the time these shows come on out here. The only dr. Phil i got to see was that prime time one with the family he is counseling. Thanks for all the updates on these shows. I will also have to look online i suppose.

~~LC~~~ :cool: about your 5# wt.loss. YGG~~ that is good and i do understand what you mean about being a slow loser. I too am the same.

Me again...had to switch to another computer, as for some reason that keyboard just QUIT responding! I have no idea why, and i don't have the patience this early to try to figure that one out. I am not a computer geek as they say, but i can usually figure my mess out. But this could be something that another person changed.

~~CAT~~yes, i agree the President's speech was not particularly liked by all! LOL. The word here at the park is most did not even stay up to watch it, as you get plenty in the morn. on all the shows. I liked what Gen. Clark had to say this morn. w/Katie Couric. But of course he's running too. But we shouldn't have started this Iraq thing when we had other things to finish(like finding the 9-11 leaders first.) Well, things will be very bitter between the parties since they all are doing the election thing now.

Got to run and try to have a decent breakfast. Been having oatmeal every day for along time.
{{{HUGS}}}}to all you great chicks, and iw ill try to post again very soon.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,
Got the news from my test & everything came back ok... so now I have a appointment on friday with my gastro. dr. Still having a hard time getting back OP... I know I need to just do it... but it's so hard...

Mooz - Oh, i'm sure Sinead will have a great time in Austrilia... for 8 weeks... Lucky girl... Is this with school, or just a vacation, or as you all say... Holiday.. How is Paul doing? Is he ready for another holiday?

Thin - i'm sure you are definitely enjoying the much warmer weather. With warmer weather we tend to eat lighter, as least for me. That is great the the RV park offers computer time.

LittleChick - glad your having warmer weather too. I don't know too much about SAD, I think i might read up on it, some pretty good sites.. most just want to sell you something.

Cat - OH, keeping my fingers crossed you find a job. I didn't watch the president... did some cleaning instead...

Nita, Hal, Mithchellez, Chacha, - Hope to hear from you all soon...

Wishing everyone a great day!

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well it is a beautiful day in Phoenix. We did have a few sprinkles of rain but nothing to excess. I am getting ready to go bowling. I am definitely into reading Dr. Phil's book. After seeing Monday's show, I am really inspired by his challengers, as well as his guests. These people are all saying they are "not on a diet." What they have done is changed their way of looking at food and being in charge of their lives. It really does make sense. Like Dr. Phil says in his book "food is not a fix-it-all." We all have stresses in our lives--these will never go away. However, it is your reaction to what happens that is the real key. The people that are doing the best on Dr. Phil's program are the ones who have incorporated exercise into their lifestyles.

I am still walking on the treadmill and yesterday I even walked two different times of the day. I am not losing any weight but I have a whole lot of energy.

Thin -- Hopefully you have my phone number. I would most definitely like to come and see you and perhaps we could work out together one day. Let me know when would be a good time.

Well I had better get moving so I can stop at the bank before going bowling.

Take care,
Nita

This morning seemed to be going in very slowly ............ I had looked at the clock in the kitchen and it said 10.50 and I thought it felt like later. Then I looked at it 20 mins later and it still said 10.50 so time was not even going slowly it was standing still:lol: The battery is dead so I took the clock down until I get a new battery but I know I will keep on looking at the space where the clock was:rolleyes:
I have been for a 2 mile walk this morning and what a beautiful morning it was.
I had better not spend too long on here as that is what I always do on a Thursday and then I get nothing done in the house and there is plenty to do!

Thin and Nita - I hope you get to meet up and we want to see pictures of you both!

Patty - I'm so happy that your test results came back OK. Paul is doing fine - working away and he does talk of going away again!

Halgal - I hope you are getting into the OP swing again!

Catlover - look after your job!

Chacha, Michelle and everyone else have a great day.



Ralphies quote today made me think of another couple of smiley verses so I am posting them all.
So go on make someones day and give them a smile .............. :) :) :)



Smile on life

Give the world a smile today. Smile at nothing and it becomes something, something warm and precious to smile about. Look at life with loving eyes. You'll see so very much to love and to appreciate.
Where life has been, and where it is going, converge in the moment that is now. Give your best, be your best right now, for now is everything with which you can work.
Think the most powerful, positive, uplifting thought you can imagine, and ask yourself this. How can you express that positive power right now?
Smile on life with your own special smile, right now. And life will smile back in ways that will truly delight you.
-- Ralph Marston





A smile costs nothing, but gives much. :)
It enriches those who give it. It takes but a moment,
but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty
that he can get along without it,
and none is so poor
that he cannot be made richer by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
promotes good will in business,
and is the cornerstone of friendship.:)
It can perk up the weary,
bring cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and is nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen,
for it is something that is of no value to anyone
until it is given away. :)
When people are too tired to give you a smile,
give them one of yours.
No one needs a smile so much
as he who has none to give




SMILE...PASS IT ON!

Smiling is infectious,
you catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin
When he smiled I realised I'd passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile then I realised its worth,
A single smile, just like mine,
could travel round the earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected
Let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!
Keep the smile going by sending this on to a friend.
Everyone needs a smile!!!

Hello Ladies,

I'm in one of those moods... I just want to eat sweets... candy... junk....I know i'm stressed... have some contract orders that i'm needing to get out, but having to wait for a Sr. person to look over my contract... he's out... meanwhile, I have a engineer who is huffing down my back, to get the contract out... If anything were to go wrong with the job... It's my A*** that is on the line... SO I"M ALL STRESSED OUT.. :yikes: Luckily, I did go the little shop downstairs & bought a diet coke & some cheese..

Nita - I need to start reading the dr. phil book again. I have it somewhere at home. But your right, we need to look at food differently, just like me wanting to eat junk food today by eating, it's not going get my contract out any faster.

Mooz - Like the quotes you had posted today. At my job, I work on the 24th floor & it's so funny, cause on the elevator it's always so quite,, but yet when someone gets on and smiles at you... it's just lightens up the ride so much... makes me cheerful, & I tend to pass that smile on to someone else...

well I need to run... Hope everyone is having a great day

Hi Ladies,

Well I thought everything was going well after my doctor visit. However, I got a call at work today that the urine test I had yesterday showed 2+ blood. To my knowledge I do not have any kidney infection. However in the past years this problem has occurred many times and a couple of my past doctors said I was just one of those persons who had this ongoing problem. They are getting me a referral to a urologist. I have had a couple of those intense x-rays and the only thing they found is that one kidney is larger than the other. Since this is my first physical with this doctor she definitely wants this checked out. I did get excellent news about the blood test. My trygliseride count was "60" which according to the nurse is very good. As far as the collesterol my good HDL was 75, which is truly excellent. The bad LDL was 133. This is always stressful when it comes to a health problem but I will get it checked out.

Patty -- Do find Dr. Phil's book because even though it is slow reading he does have a lot of good points to share.

My neighbor gave me lemons from his tree and so I experimented and made a lemon pie. My husband and I just had a piece and it was really quite good. These are the ingredients: 1 cup of plain yogourt (not fat free); 1 large package of sugar free vanilla pudding; 1 small box lemon jello; the juice of two lemons; and 1 container of coolwhip. I just mixed it up and put it into one of those graham pie crusts (reduced fat) and I let it sit in the refrigerator over night.

Well I will talk again to all of you soon.

Take care,
Anita

Good evening--

Mooz, now, even if one evening is likely to be a problem, that doesn't mean you can't be building new habits the other days.

Really busy at work--wish some of these folks could have called when we were sitting around bored. It's esp, hard because we have all these things we're supposed to do "between calls"--but there's no "between." I will have to go in early tomorrow to do my time sheet.

Getting tired--

Best to all--
Catlover

Hi Chicks~~
Got a good walk done early this morning. I accidentally cleared out my pedometer after 1/2 mile, but i believe DH and i got about 1.5 miles in today. Soon as this rainy thing ends, i am going to join in one of the water aerobics classes too. I am still getting over that cold that we drove down here with and i don't want to risk getting sick again, when the morning temps have only been in the 40's. The pool is warm for sure, but it's the time getting in and out and walking back to our RV. I think i'd rather walk when the temps are lower here and then change to being in the pool once the warmth returns. I know last year we were not here till early Feb. and i'm sure by then it makes a big difference.

~~NITA~~the lemon pie sounds good. My MIL has a lemon tree in her yard and she goes thru the whole cooking it and making it from scratch! I like your recipe much better. Yes, i did bring the notebook w/your phone #. I will call asap. We have a casino trip in early Feb. but sometime after that if you would like to meet around Mesa that'd be great! I will call. Sorry to hear that there are some odd readings on your kidney tests. Good that you can see a specialist. YAY! on the cholesterol readings and such. YGG. Must be all your workouts that are making those #'s so good.

~~CAT~~sorry to hear that work is getting so busy. Wish they could let people work at their own pace. But companies want to downsize so much and keep a person extra busy. Good luck with it all~

~~MOOZ~~How is the new camera working out? It is a challenge to figure out all the buttons on each one. I'm sure by now you can take some shots and use it. How many pixels is this one? I'd love to move up to a 3.2 or soemthing close to 4. The prices are getting a bit better for sure. I have only a 2.1 now.


Today is turning out pretty sunny, so we must hop on the motorcycle and get some more produce and a bit of groc. Still calling for rain Sat & Sun and since now we only have a motorcycle to get around on --we try to time it so as to stay dry! It comes in fast sometimes. Other times you see it up on the mountain range and it stays away from the valley. VEry different from home. If you see it that close by, it's a-comin' :lol:

Got to go now. Sending {{hugs}} to all and i will try to pop back in tonite or early tomorrow.

:wave: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,

Just a quick hello... getting ready for bed... it's been a very hetic week.

Nita - Hope everything comes out ok, with the urologist. I also have had that problem with blood in the urine... I also went to see a urologist... had the kidney sonograms done, my doc also said I could just be one of those who has a trace of blood in the urine. He wanted me to come for a 6 month check.. which is in Feb. so I should make a appointment soon.. WTG for getting your trigylcites (sp) lowered...

Thin - I agree you need to take care of that cold first, before you start an early morning water aerobics class. Are you planning a trip to Vegas? sounds like you all are keeping pretty busy..

Cat - hope things get better at work. Were you able to get someone to help you with a resume?

Just a quick call this morning ......... I wanted to share a slightly rude joke with you which I thought was funny. If you don't like rude jokes then don't read it!!
I didn't lose any weight this morning ........... in fact I put on 1.5 pounds but I am not worried about it. I am 160 pounds now and that is not too bad. 140 would be nice but I will just keep on eating as healthy as possible and exercising and see what my weight settles down at.
I was out on Thursday night, with
the linedancers, for a meal. It was lovely and I had hot chocolate fudge cake with ice cream and I didn't feel one bit guilty about eating it.
I have been for a 2 mile walk this morning and I need to go food shopping now.

Joke coming up ...............................



Ray always wanted a pair of authentic cowboy boots. Seeing some on sale
one day, he buys them, wears them home, walking proudly. He walks into
the house and says to his wife, "Notice anything different about me?"

Bessie looks him over "Nope."

Frustrated, Ray storms off into the bathroom, undresses, and walks back
into the room completely naked except for the boots. Again, he asks, a
little louder this time, "Notice anything DIFFERENT NOW?"

Bessie looks up and says, "Ray, what's different? It's hanging down
today, it was hanging down yesterday and it'll be hanging down again
tomorrow."

Furious, Ray yells, "AND DO YOU KNOW WHY IT IS HANGING DOWN, BESSIE?
IT'S HANGING DOWN BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING AT MY NEW BOOTS!!!!!"

To which Bessie replies, "ya shoulda bought a hat, Ray! Shoulda bought a
hat!"




Commitment is

Commitment means acting not just when it is convenient or comfortable, but whenever it is necessary. Commitment means setting priorities and following them without fail.
Commitment is more than words, much more than just saying you will. Commitment is doing whatever it takes to make it happen.

Commitment is available to anyone who understands and appreciates its value enough to live with it in each and every moment. Commitment requires no special skill, only sufficient desire, and faith in the virtue of the endeavor.

Commitment goes ahead and gets the job done, even though opinion and circumstances may fight vigorously against it. Commitment sees things through to completion.

Commitment bears the pains of the moment without becoming dismayed. Commitment enjoys the pleasures of the journey without becoming sidetracked.

Commitment can be summoned in an instant, and can last for a lifetime. With true commitment, what you intend is surely what you will be.

-- Ralph Marston

Good Morning Everyone,

1 Day -- Thanks for sharing your medical problem. I never had a sonogram. Did you have to do some preparation for this? I have IVPs where you had to fast for a couple of days and drink this awful stuff. Until I received this info about my test I was doing very well on my program. However, even though this has happened in the past, I all of a sudden don't feel well. And, of course, I am resorting to food for comfort. However, today I am going to try and stay busy and get back with my program.

There was a huge article in our newspaper this morning starting on page 1 talking about the low carb craze. Even President Clinton has gotten rid of his stomach by joining in. I still maintain we can eat normal if we watch the portions and throw out the junk food.

Thin -- I will be looking forward to hearing from you after your trip in February. We most definitely can meet in Mesa because I will plan on visiting with my cousin's children that same day early in the morning. I am just wondering--did you bring this rainy weather with you! Just kidding!!!

Mooz -- I liked your joke and I also like your attitude about your slight weight gain. At least we have managed to keep off more weight than we have gained. I am very happy to say I have kept off 48 of the 54 lbs. I lost for over a year now. I still want to get down to 135 and I do know I can accomplish this by just making up my mind to do it. Thanks to all of us in this support group we certainly have gained a lot of knowledge as to what really works.

Well I had better start sewing!

Take care,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Felt sick most of the day, my gastro dr. changed my medicine for my reflux & this one makes me really nausated... Tomorrow i'm going back to my old med's & giving him a call on monday.

Nita - if you having a kidney sonogram, I don't recall any preparation for it. When I had a sonogram on my abdominal area, (gallbladder, liver) I had to fast, no water or food after midnight..., in having the sonogram, you basically lie flat, & they put gel on the area been looked at, they use a object which reminds me of a mouse that we use with our computers... they somewhat push on the area.. no pain though...I know we all get concerned when some test result comes back negative, but keep in mind all your blood work was good, so that is good news. Will keep you in my prayers that all test come out fine...

Mooz - loved the joke... i'll have to remember that one. I'm glad you enjoyed your evening with your linedancers friends.

Hello everyone :wave:
Where is everyone? I thought that I wasn't getting emailed anymore again, but I guess nobody is posting. Hope you aren't all snowed in ;)
I know that Thin and Nita aren't....
We have been getting LOTS of snow. Snowed all day Friday and now its been snowing since Sunday night. Lots of shoveling to keep me busy :yes:
Thin, be glad you left when you did.....
Weight loss is not going well at all. Just not making any advances :shrug:

Mooz....loved the joke. And great that you could fully enjoy the cake :hun:

1day & Nita...hope those tests come back with good news. Try not to stress too much (I know easier said than done!)

Michelle....where are you? Hope all is going well for you :angel: :angel: :angel: You are often in my thoughts.....

Hope all you chicks are having a great day (OP and/or choc cake :high: )
:grouphug: :flow2: :cheers:

Hi Chacha,

You are correct. Arizona is the place to be during this time of the year! Thin and I are hoping to get together the early part of February. I, too, am having a hard time getting back on track. However, I watched Dr. Phil's show again yesterday and I always get invigorated by doing this. These folks are losing weight by leaps and bounds. I do have his 2nd book and he pretty much tells you exactly what to eat. (He has this nutritionist who I am sure is responsible for the menus.) It's almost like the South Beach program--no bread or potato during the 1st week but he does allow fruit. The only problem I have with these specific diets is that I do not always like what they list to eat or I do not have the item in the house. So today I decided to select food from the menus I like. One of the things I noticed is the fact that even if you have the high fiber cereal he also wants you to eat a protein item (either two sausage links or one egg or 2 egg whites). I opted for the sausage, high fiber cereal, 1 cup of 1% milk and a half of grapefruit. I can also have a banana shake for a snack. I have frozen bananas for this purpose. You can have a cup of milk, plus the banana and then i had some sweet and low to make it taste good! It really is quite a treat.

Hopefully we will get more people to post in the next few days. I firmly believe writing on this board has really been incentive to keep off most of the weight I have lost and I will never stop posting. Remember ladies, if you are not doing well, that is probably the most important time to seek support. I read an e-mail from one of my friends today and it was written by the late Erma Bombeck and it was very motivational because it stated what is really important in life and it is this very moment!

Take care,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Just a quick hello... things are real busy here at work today & i'm leaving early cause I have a mammogram appointment. It's a 6 month visit from the scare I had back in July. Say a little prayer for me that all is well

gotta run

Hello Chicks~~yes, it looks like it has been pretty quiet on here lately. I can't say much either, as i have not tried to post. Today was pretty sunny and starting to warm up nicely. Still did not swim or wear shorts, but maybe by Friday. It is supposed to get just a little warmer each day. sorry to hear just how wintery it is all over the country. What a year this is turning out to be.
Not to sound whimpy, but it does cool off alot in the desert at night and it was near the freezing mark last night , and that is the night our furnace decided to quit! DH doesn't notice anything, but i could hear how that thing kept blowing and blowing and it seemed to be getting cooler of all things. So i got up and checked it all and sure enough it was just blowing cool air. So i shut that off. We have a small elec.ceramic heater, so that was enuf to suffice. DH just fixed the gas hot water heater and now its the gas furnaces' turn to conk. Always something with these RV's...i call this one our "money pit!"

~~1DAY~~i am sending you :angel:'s and prayers for a good outcome on the followup mammo. It worked for mine by asking for you all to pray, so i will be sure to do the same.

Saturday i am dog sitting for 2 very active scottie dogs. I had told the manager here at the park that i might be interested in that , so she gave her my name. They are both under 2 yrs old! They will be a challenge i'm sure. But it's my first go at getting my 'dog fix' as i call it ! LOL

Sunday we are going to a Superbowl party at a neighbor of his mom's. That should be a blast. The guy is making his own version of indian tacos. And all the trimmings. He is a hoot besides, so it should be fun.

I did a good 2mile walk today, and plan to do it again tomorrow. Gotta build up to doing some morning and evening. At least that is my goal. I did weigh in, and it was very sad :( I knew it would be bad, but not quite that bad! So more salads and walking are sure in my itinerary.


Thanks ~~NITA~~ for the reminder on what is important in our lives. I always loved to read Erma's books and such.

Everyone else, hope you are doing well tonite and can update us with a post soon too. ~~MICHELLEZ~~ you know we always think of you and we do miss you! Take care!

:hugs: :grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Patty, Good luck on your Mammo. I, too, have had some results that were not good.

Anita

Just a quick call to bump us up to the top again. I will hopefully get to post in the morning.

Hello Ladies,
We'll I ended up having to cancel my mammogram yesterday. We were in the process of negoitating a contract for work & I just couldn't say "well guys time for my dr. appointment." so I had to cancel, luckily they can get me in on a saturday in february. Things have been so hetic at work, this is when I really need to exercise, but do I? no? We're due for some cold weather here this week, but I am determined to get back to my morning walks. I felt so much better when I was walking.

Thin - Too bad about the furnace, but luckily you had the ceramic heater & your hubby to warm up too. :o I bet the dessert nights are just beautiful there. I'm sure watching two doggies under two will definitely be fun... A neighbor of mine got a baby puppy over the holidays and it just makes me want to get one too... but i have my hands full with mine.

Mooz - hope to hear from you soon.

ChaCha - we're all here, glad to hear from you too. Wish you could send some of that snow here, just for day though... and only on a saturday...

Nita, Cat, Hal, LittleChick, Mitchellez - Hope to hear from you all soon...

Good Morning Chicks - Wednesday again!! It is a very cold frosty morning here today and I hope the footpaths are not slippery as I really want to go for a walk. I seem to have had very little time to spend at the computer ......... my art class started again last night and I have been painting for the past few days trying to get into painting mode again seeing as I have not done any since early December!!
Eating has been going well this week and hopefully I can lose those 1.5 pounds that I gained last week.

Patty - sorry that you had to cancel your mammogram. It is one of those things that you just want to get over and done with.

Thin - lucky that you had the small ceramic heater to give some heat.

Nita - I'm sure you just love the Arizona weather right now :cool:

Chacha - maybe all that shoveling will help the weightloss!!

Catlover - I hope you are feeling less tired by now.

Hal - are you getting to work these days or are you snowed in?

Michelle - hope you get to post soon as we would all love to hear from you ......... whether you are in control or out of control this is a support group and that is why we are all here.

HAve a great day all




Small joys

Find joy in the little things, for there are so very many of them. In every day there are countless opportunities to be joyful.
Those small moments of joy and happiness will add up. They'll keep you pointed in a positive direction.

Big achievements are the result of small efforts added one by one to each other. In the same way, lives of happiness and fulfillment are built piece by piece, one small joy at a time.

Don't postpone your enjoyment of life, waiting for a grand and glorious achievement. If you neglect the small opportunities for joy, the big, magnificent joys will surely elude you.

Why should you be joyful over the little things when the big things seem so oppressive? Because a positive approach to life will focus and direct your energy toward overcoming those difficult challenges you face.

Take a moment, find something to be genuinely happy about, and you can literally feel that positive energy flowing in you. Now step forward and put it to work.

-- Ralph Marston

Hope everyone is staying warm. Thin....be VERY glad you are not up in the artic areas by us. Last night was -8 (windchills about -30) and it is still -1 now. VERY cold, I just can't seem to warm up :flame: -need some of that under my *ss.

I did go to the gym this morning but VERY hard to get moving. Oh well, this too shall pass. I wish I could have stayed home in bed today :chin:

1day....can relate to the mammo. I usually make my OB\GYN and mammo appt at approx the same time (to get them over and done with).

Hope you all have a terrific day!! Tomorrow we are going to Madison for the Linkin Park concert (well the kids are).
:grouphug: :wave:

Hello Ladies,

Nothing new today, just trying to stay in control. I have got to start working on drinking my water. That is one thing I have let slip.

Chacha - Wow, that is really cold up there. With temps like that I don't think I would want to get out of bed... I can't even imagine what your heating bill runs.

Mooz - You are a busy woman, but that is good,, keeps us away from just sitting at the table & snacking. Hope you were able to get your walk in today. Are you still doing the winsor pilates? I was thinking about buying that tape, what are you thoughts on it?

we'll need to run...

Thin, Cat, Nita, LittleChick, Hal, Mitchellez - Hope to hear from you all soon...

Good snowy, cold and snow day #3 Friday,

I hope this finds everyone doing well. I am just fine. As usual a tad busier than I would like to be. But, but, but... today is snow day #3 of the school year - and there is NO day like a SNOW day. Altho, I will head into school just after lunch to work for the afternoon - what a stress reliever to have an opportunity to catch up! My diet has been good with occasional slips. The slips would be choosing to have carbs that were not complex - and usually when dining out. I am gaining control - but can do much better. I am not exercising and that has got to change. I know I can feel 100% better if I just take a little time for me.

http://di.imgag.com/imgag/product/full/ap/2030112/graphic1.gif

Hello All!

Hal - lucky you... snow day # 3, I wish we would get just a little snow here. The weather is cold but not like anything up east..This week my goal is to drink more water...

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Hi Chicks~~
just dropping by after my chores are done at the park. Been a very busy morning. Walked 1.5 miles w/DH early. Then we went to his moms to start a painting project she wants done. She wants one wall in her white bedroom to become burgundy. It will be quite a change. She has a new bed spread that will have some of the same colors in it, so i bet when we are done the room will pop with that new dark color in there. She didn't get enough paint tho, so today she got back to home depot for more.

I am getting better about walking daily, but so far i just don't feel any more pep from it. That is when i get discouraged. Others speed walk, roller blade, run, and here i can't even get into walking. Plus i don't feel the energy from it like would normally occur.


~~HALGAL~~snow day # 3 in a row?? wow, that must be something. It is cold all over, so i can imagine this happening in alot of places. Where i'm from they more often have to cancel or delay because of the frigid temps.(20 below and more~ glad i"m in arizona for another "winter" :lol:


~~ChaCha~~ didn't think it was you who was going to the Linkin Park concert :lol: But do you go to be with your children and how old are they?
Have fun and be careful.

Hi to all the rest...keep posting and i will get on here as much as i can. For encouragement! it does help!!

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Hi Ladies,

Well last night was one of my worst nights. I thought I just had a toothache and it kept me up most of the night. As soon as I get up in the morning I call my dentist to find out his office is closed and because I felt it was an emergency I did try his home phone and cell phone but no response. I then went to the Yellow Pages and found a dental clinic that deals with children and I gave them a call. To make this story short--when they took the x-ray of my lower left side the dentist found a cavity as well as an abscess in one of the teeth and the molar was loose and had to come out as well. Because I was in such pain I didn't even hesitate to get them taken out. What I am most upset about is the fact that I had just gone to my dentist 2-1/2 weeks ago and he took x-rays as well. He most definitely should have seen this problem and done something about it. When I said I was having some discomfort on that side he said the molar was loose because the bone was deteriorating and for the time being it should be okay. Sorry to share this long message. When I came home and took a nap about 2:00 o'clock my dentist's assistant called. I do believe I have a complaint against this dentist because no one should have to suffer for no just cause!

As a result of this episode I missed my bowling, as well as the monthly free lunch. Also I do not believe I will walk on the treadmill this evening. At the moment I am on pain medication so I do feel a whole lot better than this morning. I was told to try and stick to a liquid diet for the first 24 hours.

I, too, have to go for my mammo on Monday. Also I have to go to the urologist on Wednesday. Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it to do your yearly checkups.

Thanks for being there for us when we need your support.

Take care,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Nita - So sorry to hear that you have been in pain, & to top it off it was tooth pain..I think I have to agree with you, if you went to the dentis two 1/2 weeks ago, I'm thinking something should of showed up on the xrays. Hope you get to feeling better.

Thin - good to hear from you. Sounds like your MIL is going to keep you all busy for a while. I would love to paint my bedroom a different color other than white, but I'm just not daring enough...or am I just lazy...

I have been working on my taxes, hoping to get something back this year...Wishing everyone a great saturday...

Hello All... - Bringing us back to the top.

Had a lazy day today... cleaned house, watch a movie, cleaned some more,, watch another movie... tonight I was busy working on taxes... looks like i'm be getting some money back this year.... :)

Anybody watching the superbowl game tomorrow? I guess i'm going to root for the North Carolina team...

Hi Chicks~~just got in from our 1.5 mile walk. Might be adding to it just a bit by trying a few more jogs in the route. IF the sun stays out today i might also go do some pool exercise. It got pretty cold again last night. Good thing for elec. heaters!

~~NITA~~ I am sooo sorry to hear of your dental problems. And the pain it caused. I was glad to hear you took it easy after the procedure. It is not good to workout with just having that type thing done. Do rest and feel better. And i agree with 1DAY~~your regular dentist should be responsible for some of that! In 2 weeks it couldn't have changed all that much. He should have been able to pick up on that.

~~1DAY~~ great feeling to start on those taxes and find out they owe you some money! ;) It is going to be very close to the due date for us this year. Getting mail forwarded for one thing is going to slow all my paperwork down. I just hope it all reaches me! If you have to ask for a new W2 to be sent, that would probably take forever.

I think it would be better for the Panthers to win too, as they are a new team having never gotten to the 'big game' before. We are watching it at a neighbors of his mom's. It will be one big bash i'm sure, as the whole cul-de-sac shows up and more that he invites. This guy loves to cook, so the indian tacos should be very good. I ate very light yesterday knowing i might just try a few more things today! I had salsa on my salad and that is zero calories. It was good that way. Plus i had some avacado leftover and it starts to turn black so fast, i just HAD to eat it! :lol: love that stuff. BUT at least it was a California avacado. They have less fat than the Florida ones, and you can taste the difference too. First time i've been able to try one. We don't get the CA ones by us it seems.

That is one thing in Arizona, i am able to try alot of new foods. And healthy ones too...if i want to. :devil:

Well, i will sign off for now and try to visit again tomorrow.

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

http://di.imgag.com/imgag/product/full/ap/3002254/graphic1.gif
Good Sunday Morning Everyone!

OK, time to get serious! We can do this, I must do this! I am going to do my best to exercise by walking daily with Rocky and doing 20 minutes of the stationary bike 4 days this week. It is on my agenda - for me. That is how I must look at it.

I went to a Martina McBride and Alan Jackson concert last night. In a word this concert was AWESOME. I adore Martina, and Alan is such a sincere, traditionalist his voice/music are very uplifting and relaxing. We picked up seats yesterday 5th row center just behind the floor seats. Yes, we picked them up yesterday! I have always heard they hold a few good seats to be sold the day of the concert - and we lucked out. We were blessed. Now, let's talk about squeezing into those 18 inch stadium seats. It was not comfortable, and I am more motivated than ever to work toward a size that is comfortable. No one is going to do it for me, right? :lol:

Just a few notes, and I apologize to anyone I miss...

Nita: Good luck with your dental problems. There is no excuse for anything but the best of dental care. I don't understand, I know things happen, but it seems the more I hear, this is becoming more common - folks not doing the best they can.

Thin: Your words about walking help, thanks! Rocky's harness is broken and I must get out today to get a new one. The groomer placed it on very loosely around his neck and he chewed it through. His hair is so long I honestly did not notice until he had nearly chewed it through. There you go Nita - another example - folks not doing the best they can do.

Mooz: How are you doing?

Hello to OneDay, CatLover, Michellez, LittleChick and anyone I may have been missed. I have a paper to write today, but I think I'll run errands while the sun is out now. Have a great day!

:dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer:

Mornin' chicks~~ where is our mooz these days?? Hope all is ok over there in Ireland~

DH couldn't walk with me today, but i just finished mine and i found a way to weave thru the park a bit different and add a 10th of a mile to my walk. 1.6 today girls! YAY. Sun is shining and i will take advantage as much as possible, since tomorrow it is looking to be a major rain(for AZ! that is) 1/2 inch. Probably will be alot of flooding even with that! Very different than by us in upper Michigan. Takes like 3 or 4 inches to really be 'flooded' in the yard and such.

DH is gone to his mom's to finish touching up our paint job...turns out with that bumpy type finish (like stuccoed) on the walls there, the prep work wasn't a success. One wall was to be this bright burgundy leaving the rest white, but the tape did not adhere well to that finish. soooo we have this uneven border now. He has to take primer and go over carefully trying to make a new clean straight white border again! yikes. More work than one figured. And his mom did not feel well last night at the superbowl party, so he wants to see how she is today. She had like pins n needles in her arm that lasted for along time. Hope she is ok today. I'm wearing the cell phone incase something comes up. I have to do mail in awhile so i stayed here.
She has high cholesterol no matter what pills/exercise/eating program she is on, so we always worry about her heart.
And speaking of that......
Happy Heart Health day to you all too!

~~HALGAL~~glad i could help you think about scheduling your walking. I always need the help of this site too. It's a great place. Glad you enjoyed the concert, and yes, you did luck out w/those seats! :) Good deal.

Glad to hear the latest on Rocky. I guess having a spare collar or harness might be a good idea with him. I wonder how long they like chewing on things for that breed? The terriers i watched on Sat. were a challenge. They are 1 1/2 yrs old and they are chewing alot yet! One took the others leash and was chewing and pulling it around to show it was the top dog. Very amusing to watch. Course when they aren't your "kids" it's loads more fun, cause you can return them! right?? :lol:

Well, i must go and let another use the computer. And have my oatmeal for breakfast.

Hi to all the rest...hope you're feeling better ~~NITA~~!

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Good Evening Chickies - I had done a long post on Saturday morning but when I went to submit it I lost the whole thing. I hate it when that happens.
Anyway I lost the 1.5 pounds that I had gained the previous week but going by the way I was eating at the weekend I have probably put it on again! I will just have to try and have a good week.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/abr0545l.jpg

I probably will not get to walk tonight as it is very wet and windy.
Paul had an interview last week for a job in America. If he gets through this stage the next interview would be in America. The only catch with the job is that he would have to make a commitment to stay with them for 3 years.
Sinead is back at University again after the Christmas holidays and Orla is now in her last year at school and hopefully by this time next year she will be at University too. The house will be very empty during the week - not too sure if I feel good or bad about that!

Thin - seems like you are enjoying your walks again. I hope your MIL is feeling better.

Halgal - you are one lucky lady ........... I love Alan Jackson's singing. I am so jealous!!

Patty - you were right to just have a relaxing day. Glad to hear you will be getting some money back.

Nita - hope you are feeling better by now. I also think your dentist should have noticed something when he did the x-rays.

Chacha - hope you had a good time at the concert with your kids.

Catlover, Michelle and anyone else hope you get a chance to call in soon.




Less than perfect

Things will never be perfect. Sometimes they will never even be close. Yet that is no reason to hide away from life, no reason to curse your predicament. On the contrary, it is every reason to rise up and go forth with renewed determination.
If you wait for conditions to be perfect, you won't ever get much done. If you refuse to go ahead unless you can be guaranteed of a sure thing, you'll never get very far.

It's great to aim toward perfection, yet to arrive at perfection you must cross through a lot of imperfection. To get everything just right, you must be willing to deal with things going wrong.

Take this day, this moment, with all its flaws, and make the very most of it. Rather than complaining about what you don't have or where you'd rather be, make full use of where you are, of what you do have.

Aim toward perfection while also accepting the reality of what is. And excellence will surely result.

-- Ralph Marston

Hello Ladies,

Mooz - Wow a 3 yr committment, that is a long time to be away from your family, but then again Paul is so adventorous. What state is he looking at? I'm sure next year you will find more time for your painting or for one of your other hobbies. WTG on the 1.5 loss...

Thin - WTG for getting your walk in...I think adding a 1/2 mile here or a 1/4 mile there, it all eventually adds up. How is DH's mother? You last mentioned that her arm was hurting her. Hope everthing is ok.

Hal - I just love Alan Jackson... I think I could just look at him all day...

Did everyone enjoy the football game? I had gotten on a football pot at my sister's work & won $ 200... so I was really excited. & I ate way to much..

Cat, Nita, Chacha, LittleChick, Mitchellez - Hope you all are having a great day!

Hi Chicks~~~
Walked just in time this morn. It started to rain right after we got our 1.6 miles in. Good thing for that pedometer, so i can see if i really am adding any steps.

Thanks for asking about dearMIL, 1day~~ things are less scary now at least ...nothing is going on w/her heart or that type thing. They ran every test on Monday, and it took all day, but finally she found out it could be just a pinched nerve. Well, they don't know of course on that, but at least it's nothing like we first worried. She is still in the same pain tho. Hope she can get better soon!
WOW~ you won on the football game...$200.00 You lucky girl you~~ YAY! now that should be spent soley on you. Get yourself some good rewards. You deserve it.

~~MOOZ~~good to hear from you. What will Paul be doing stateside? and does he know where he will live yet? Maybe once he's here for such a long term you can get to visit the U.S.

YGG on the 1.5# loss. That is great, you are giving it your all and it shows. I am weighing in most every day, and staying the same so far, but i know i eat real good for awhile, just knowing that i'm going to screw up later~ like at the superbowl party. All the good foods---mostly munchies. That is what gets a person. The indian fry bread for the main dish wasn't so good either, but they were small and i put lots of healthy things on it. Green onion, lettuce, tomat, avacado , salsa and some cheese too of course. But i stopped at one, when i used to go for 2nd's. That is where i have learned a bit. I HOPE!~ :lol:

Chicks, i must sign off for now. And i don't know if i can post for a few days. Got a bus run to Laughlin, Nevada. A 2 day gambling trip --but there are other things to see once there i guess. Hope so anyway! the trip, the room, 2 meals for 2 people only $24.00. Can hardly say no.

Talk to you all ASAP. Stay strong and remember we are in this for our health!
:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days. My tooth is finally not giving me any more pain and I am trying to get my tax info together because I need to go see the tax man next Monday. I am also having the urology appointment tomorrow.

Take care and I will write soon again,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Nita - saying a prayer that all goes well with your test tomorrow. Glad your finally feeling better with that tooth ache..

Thin - have fun on your trip... Wow. $ 24 bucks and you get all that...have fun...

Still working on my taxes & I think I just about have them finished...getting some money back & that will be nice... going to put it towards Blackie's surgery bill...

goodnite & talk to you all tomorrow...

Just reporting in on this Wednesday night .......... well nearly Thursday morning as it is 11.23 pm. My eating has been going well this week and I intend to make a bigger effort to do better at the weekend. I am getting at least one walk in every day even in the wet weather. It's raining in Australia :D ............ so says Shad!! Am I evil to feel happy when I hear of rain in Australia? We get so much rain here and they get so much sunshine ............ it's really not fair at all. :(
I was at my art class tonight ......... I love it! It is an all female class, 12 of us, with a male tutor and the craic is great. We sure do have some great laughs every night! We laugh at everything and anything and take the wrong meaning out of everything and anything ......... like one night, when the beginners were painting pictures of fruit, the tutor told one lady that she had a lovely pear ............ all was silent for 5 seconds and then the whole class burst out laughing. You know I think we get dafter as we get older! We also do some painting at the class!! :lol:
Well I suppose I really should go get my beauty sleep :rolleyes:

Life's lessons

You have the chance to learn something valuable today. Whether the day is frenzied or peaceful, stressful or relaxing, there is much you can learn from the living of it.
Some people let life's lessons slip by unnoticed. Others take them to heart, eagerly and often. Life offers its lessons to all. And life richly rewards those who accept and appreciate them.

You could complain that something doesn't work, or you could learn to make it work. You can allow the setbacks to discourage you, or you can let the setbacks teach you how to get ahead.

From every experience there is a lesson. From every person, from every situation, from every success, and especially from every disappointment, there is something to be learned.

Learn all you can from those lessons. Master life's lessons, and you'll surely master life.

-- Ralph Marston

http://di.imgag.com/imgag/product/full/ap/3054738/graphic1.jpg
Hey Happy Hump Day, and by the time most of you read this Thursday!

It has been a long week already. I've been good on the diet (nothing interesting to get into trouble with in the house is key) but exercise still leaves room for improvement. I watched a tape of the show The View with highlights of each of the popular diet plans selling books today. All of them stress the importance of exercise. So...

Just a quick hello to all... I appreciate this thread and each of you!

Just a quick hello... will post more later...

Hi Ladies,

Well hopefully I am through going to the doctors and dentist for a while. My mammo went smoothly--this lady was so gentle--the best one I have ever had. Yesterday I went to the Urologist and I convinced him I didn't need an exam. He agreed but had me give him a urine sample. In case it is not good, then I will have to go back, otherwise he said to come back for a urine analysis in one year. The mouth is finally healing, and I talked to my attorney today and he is going to think about the situation and tell me the best route to take in order to perhaps make my former dentist pick up some of the tab of my expenses with the "new" dentist.

As far as my program is going--it isn't!! :?: However, I talked to my daughter Robin in Cleveland today and she had her first weigh in after one week of being on program--she was so elated because she had lost 9-1/2 lbs. The other daughter, who has a whole lot less to lose, lost 5-1/2 lbs. It just goes to show you if you keep track of what you are eating, the weight will definitely disappear. This is giving me inspiration to start over once again. Robin was so excited it was like she just won the lottery! I only hope she keeps on going.

Mooz -- It sounds like you are getting it together. Especially you are getting in your walking. I taped Dr. Phil's program from Monday and after I finish this post I am going to go out and watch it on the treadmill.

HalGal -- Thanks for the lovely graphic. They are always so refreshing and motivating. It would certainly be wonderful if we could one day have a place where some of us could meet each other in person.

Well I had better get moving so I can get exercising!

Take care and thanks again for being such "wonderful" friends!

Anita

Just bringing us to the top.

Things are realy busy here at work...I will post later...

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Good Morning Chickies just a quick post. I lost 0.5 pounds this week ........ not much but it is going in the right direction. I was reading the journals and I thought the following one was interesting so I have copied it and I will post it for you ........

HAve a great day all.



I'm doing this for myself.

Posted by: GreatBigMonsterMomma on Feb 06, 04 | 10:29 pm

Kind of a belated realization, huh? I think I knew it before, but I had forgotten it somewhere along the lines: I am doing this for me. Only me. I am working to fit my definition of beauty, not Society's, not my husband's. Mine. I feel compelled again to point out that I am not working toward's Society's image of perfection. For starters, society cannot make up its mind. The ideal keeps shrinking. While I don't buy into the theory that Marilyn Monroe was a size 14/16, she was a 10 or a 12. Sophia Loren was a size 8 or so. A "perfect 8" used to be the fashion ideal. You'd have to combine 2 supermodels (at least!) these days to get the old ideal. I remember reading a brief bit about Janet Jackson, whose trainer worked with her to get down to a size 0, apparently feeling her previous size (4) was too big. I could go on, but I won't.

My ideal is my ideal. I do not expect anyone else to share it. I am working on not thinking poorly of others' ideal when it seems unrealistically thin to me. However, I will not apologize for saying that the vast majority of women are not meant to be a size 4. I know a couple of women on this site have gotten down to that size, and bully for them. The two I can think of off the top of my head take weightlifting quite seriously, and have very low bodyfat.

I got married in 1999. Back then, the Navy policy was that if you were out of standards 3 times in an enlistment, you got booted out (the new standard, which makes more sense, is that if you're out of standards at the end of your enlistment, you won't be allowed to re-up). Marrying a man chronically out of standards (he is now living proof that the new standard can be gotten around; he had a chief smart enough to realize that one fat man who can do his job is worth three skinny s****-offs, but that's another topic for another day) brought me into contact with the Navy's standards for healthy weight. And I learned a few interesting things.

For instance, women are supposed to have fairly high bodyfat. The Navy considers between 18% - 31% acceptable, with the ideal actually toward the higher end of that scale. Anything below 15% & you run the risk of not menstruating. When you're not having proper cycles, you up your risk of heart disease (as anyone with PCOS can tell you). Another thing I learned: depending on your body type, it is perfectly possible to be at your ideal weight and wear a size 12. My sister is 5'6" & 136 pounds, one pound over dead center in the Navy's ideal weight range for her height. And she wears a size 12.

My goal, which I have mentioned in the past, is about a size 14 or 150 - 155, whichever comes first. Before I got pregnant with Linda, I discovered to my surprise that I wore a size 18 at 192 pounds. You drop a size for every 10 pounds, so I could concievably be in a size 14 at 170 or so pounds, and 155 would put me in a size 10. Healthy, and still not the size 4 that seems to be the new ideal. Honestly, I'll see how I feel as a size 14 & decide then if I need to lose more weight. I was pretty damned happy as a size 18, so maybe I'll stop at a size 16.

Be true to yourself. That's what I need to get out there. Develop healthy eating habits, and exercise 5 or 6 times a week. You do that, and your body will find where it needs to be. That might be a size 4. It might be a size 18. Or anywhere in between. One thing I learned while pregnant (the first time, and it was reinforced this time) was to trust your body. It's made for this whole living thing; it knows what to do. Try not to overthink, & let your body do what it needs to.

One last note: Don't kick yourself for gaining weight during pregnancy. Tell your OB to take a flying leap if he *****es about your weight gain (especially likely if you're overweight to begin with). Eat right, and your body will do the rest. When I was pregnant with Bobbie, I lost thirty-three pounds in the first trimester (honest!). Then I gained 23. This time, I lost 8 and gained 34 (to bring me to the 26 above my prepregnancy weight I mentioned). I know almost as many women who lose weight during pregnancy as who gain it. Your body knows what it needs.

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Hey Everyone...

During the school year, Saturday seems to be the catch up on sleep day for me. The 10 to 12 hour days (mostly 12 or more) seem to take all I have and by Saturday I am so whipped. My fellow teachers say the same thing. We love our job, but it takes all and many times more than we have to offer.

The diet is good, but could be better. My foods class brought in food for a food day Friday - there was no food theme. One student brought in doughnuts and I indulged. One of my students that has been watching me lose this weight exclaimed, "Why are you cheating?????" I felt instantly bad, but only for a moment. I know I have to change my food habits, and those doughnuts are off the list. I honestly only eat them a few times a year, I am not a huge doughnut fan. Now, let's talk about chocolate and puff cheetos.

I'll go find Monday's Dr. Phil show and watch it now. Time for some motivation. Did anyone read the article in the January Oprah magazine about the girl that lost 175 pounds by exercise and eating well? She has a book coming out this year. I'll get the name of the book and post it later. It was eye opening, sad, all the the emotions that come with the experiences of an obese person in a thin to be in society.

IF anyone is reading... have a great weekend!!

:dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2:

Hello Ladies,

Things have been so busy here at work. I'm actually in the office right now, trying to catch up on filing & cleaning off my desk....

Hal - my diet has not been good at all either... Went to the grocery store last night & bought some valentine's candy... of course i'm up here eating it at work... Saturday is also my day to sleep in, but Blackie wakes me around 6:30, maybe 7am at the latest... for his morning outing...

Mooz - WTG for your .5 loss... a loss is a loss no matter how small.. Like you said it is going in the right direction.

we'll I need to run, so I can get out of here..
talk to you all tomorrow..

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Just a quick note this Grammy Sunday evening... to wish each of you a wonderful, healthy and OP week. I miss hearing from everyone... let's stay strong and united.

All the best!

:dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer:

Hello Ladies,

Hal - How did you like the Grammy's? I watched some of it, but then I switched to watch Sex & the City...

Still trying to get back on schedule with everything. I got on the scales this morning and up a pound so I have got to start exercising, otherwise it just creeps up a pound at a time..

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Looks a bit different on here again...i see no size or color to type with. Oh well, It is difficult to even get on one of the four computers now that the park is overflowing w/residents. I REALLY want to buy that laptop now. But the budget doesn't allow it just now. Seems to always be something more important to pay isn't there?

The trip to laughlin was ok. didn't win any money or anything good like that, but we did have a great big room, king size bed and big bathroom. And after living in the tight quarters of a motorhome (no slides by the way like most of the rigs here) it was very appreciated to ahve all that room. And we got a room that overlooked the Colorado river and that was awesome and blue. I went down to it, and it even looks and smells clean!

Just got done walking 1.6 miles and i know by the days end it will be double that. We walk from our lot to the main building many times a day, and they say that all adds up! Hope so, cause i really need to start seeing some inches or pounds take off again! The have a line dancing thing here too, but i dont' know how often. Looks like it would burn some calories too.

So much to chose from, i am still greatful every day for being able to get out of the cold and snow and be here!

Hi to all of the chicks...i will try to pop in more often again.

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Hello ladies,

Gosh this has been another busy week here at work. Getting kinda of tired of it, but really glad we have the work. My eating has been somewhat ok, with the exception of eating ice cream. But I have made a promise to myself not to buy anymore until I can lose a pound or two.

Thin - sounds like you had a good time in Laughlin. Too bad you didn't win anything... would of been nice to win enough to buy you a laptop.

Did anyone watch the Westminster Dog show last night? I watched the very end...The newfoundland dog was a beautiful dog... he was my pick..

we'll I need to run... HOpe everyone is having a great day!

Good Evening Ladies,

Well I haven't left town, and I really have no idea why I seem to be so busy all the time. It may have something to do with all my bowling. I am trying very hard to get back on track. I am contemplating joining WW for 10 weeks. Since I am a retiree of the State they offer 10 weeks of an at-work program for just $30. I thought it would help me get back on track. Attending meetings with other folks is always inspiring to me, and maybe, just maybe, I can take off at least another 10 lbs.

Tomorrow we are going to have HDTV installed. We already had the TV but our DISH satellite company didn't have an HD receiver for us to buy so I decided to switch companies and as of tomorrow we will be with Direct TV. My DH hasn't seen high definition TV but I did in the store and it is really awesome!

Did anyone see Dr. Phil on Monday when he interviewed the 611 lb. woman. It was really sad to see her. She is literally a prisoner in her own body. Dr. Phil says he is going to help her and that means assigning her a Personal trainer, nutritionist and I believe a medical team. He also cautioned her friends they cannot bring her any type of food if it is not on her program.

Well I will sign off for now, wishing all of you success in whatever you are attempting to accomplish in your life!

Take care,
Anita

Good Evening Chickies. Just a quick call.
I am still walking and eating as healthy a diet as I can but I still have the odd treat especially at the weekend. I think I have got this food thing mainly under control now that I have had to liook after my health.
I don't feel I need to read about diets anymore because all I have to do is eat less and exercise more.

Nita - I also seem to be very busy at the moment. That is so sad about the woman you saw in the Dr Phil show. I hope he is able to help her.

Patty - that is also what I need to do or rather not do ........ buy ice-cream. It is OK if I buy the cheaper one because it does not tempt me so much but the fancier ones certainly do make it hard for me to refuse!

Thin - glad you are getting plenty of walks in ....... I really think that is the best and most enjoyable form of exercise.

Halgal - I hope you are staying strong. Are you still following the Atkins diet. Is it true what they said in the news that Dr Atkins was clinically obese when he died or is it just newspaper hype again?

To all you other chicks I hope you are doing OK and that you get to call in sometime. This thread has really quietened down a lot ..........

Just bumping us up to the top again


Stay calm
There is enormous strength in serenity. Stay calm, and you stay in control.
When noise and clutter and confusion overwhelm the situation, the way forward is with calm and determined strength. Stay calm, and you make the best decisions.

Just because there is a need for urgency does not mean there's a need for panic. Stay calm, and you can be the most effective.

Anxiety can drain away your energy and give you nothing useful in return. Rushing around in a frenzy brings on carelessness and wasted effort.

You can let yourself be drawn into anxiety and haste, but why would you ever want to? Instead, stay calm, and able to make a positive difference.

Always know that you can choose your own response, whatever the situation. Choose to stay calm, for it is almost always your best first choice.

-- Ralph Marston

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I hope this finds everyone enjoying a very special Valentines Day!

I need prayer... I am SO off-OP. I have the Dr. Phill Monday tape, I think I'll go watch it before I turn in this evening. Anyway... I do have the resolve, I just keep falling off. I know how to get back on. Pray...!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !

Good Morning Ladies - It's such a beautiful day here in Texas. We are receiving our first snowfall of the season. So far about 4inches... it's so beautiful, luckily I don't have to get out in it. Had lots of fun throwing snowballs at my dog Blackie. I think he was enjoying it too. Tomorrow our high is suppose to be in the 50's so it will all melt away...

Hal - I know it is so hard to stay OP. But it is time to get back on track & stay on track. Pretty soon it's going to be spring & time for shorts & short sleeve tops... Let's get our selves in shape. I'm am recommitting my self to stay OP. Let's do it!

Nita - I didn't get a chance to see Dr Phil, but I did see Wynonna Judd on Oprah. It was a good show. She has come to Oprah to get help with her eating. Bob who is Oprah's trainer is helping her & Wynonna also has a trainer. He stated for the first month to commit to just exercise... 5 to 6 days a week & not to get 2 hours before bedtime. Then he said they would start looking at the other issues she has. It was so sad, you think to yourself here a woman who has it all... but yet she has issues too.

Mooz - how did you do with your weight in this week?

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Hello ladies,

Just wanted to say a quick hello.. I guess everyone had a pretty busy weekend. I know tomorrow is going to be a really busy day at work & on tuesday i'm schedule for some medical procedures a "colonoscopy (sp) & then the scope down the throat (can't remember that name), so keep me in your prayers on tuesday, that all goes well. Tomorrow i'll be fasting, liquids & jello only... so i'm bound to lose a pound or two...

Hope everyone has a great day!

Hello Ladies - Just bringing us to the top...

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Happy Presidents Day Everyone!

Where or where is everyone? I hope everyone is well, and staying OP. I had a better weekend, and so far today a good day. I have to begin exercising more. I watched the Dr. Phil show from last Monday with the 600 pound girl on, and that was heartbreaking, but still so realistic. That girl is absolutely gorgeous, and I can see her as a beautiful thin person.

I am off of school today and taking care of errands. I just popped in to pay a quick bill and pick up a sweater I need to have repaired. After that getting an oil change in the Jeep and home to finish an assignment for my class after school tomorrow evening.

I'm reading a really difficult book for my bookclub, "The Two Faces of Islam". I would love to understand the culture, climate and politics but wonder if I have the brains for it all. So far, it is a difficult book to follow and understand - I have no idea who recommended this one!

Oh, oh... I picked up both of Dr. Phil's books last evening. So... add these to my reading lists. I believe he simply has them eating well, and exercising their behinds offffffff!

Let's hear from you guys today!

Good Afternoon to all of you,

My bowling went quite well today. I bowled a total of 495 for three games. My high game was 181.

As far as my program is concerned I am doing okay, but not great. However, I made up my mind to re-join WW next Wednesday at my at-work program. My daughters are both doing WW in Ohio and I thought I could better motivate them if I am doing the program also.

HalGal -- I, too, watched Dr. Phil and the 600 lb. woman. I agree with you, she is a beautiful woman and hopefully Dr. Phil will keep us up to date on her progress. I am not sure any of the remember the anerexia woman on ET but they have not shown her progress for quite some time. I sure hope she is still alive.

I still have to get in touch with Thin so we can finally meet in person. The weather here is absolutely beautiful--it is 70 and tomorrow it is supposed to be 80-85. Can you imagine that in the middle of February!

Well ladies I will close for now.

Take care,
Anita

Hello Ladies,
It was a very long day today. Went to the hospital for my colonoscopy(sp)
and the scope. Everything went well.. doc said their were a few polyps, I'll know more hopefully by friday. Pretty much slept the rest of the day.

I need to start reading Dr.Phil's book... to find out why I sabatoge myself... on bringing all the wrong foods into the house...

Mooz, Cat, LittleChick, Mitchellez, Thin, - Hope you all are doing ok... Hope to hear from you all soon!.... Even if's it a Hi!

Hi Patty,

Looks like we are it tonight. I, too, bring items into the house which I know I shouldn't because I don't have control over them. Perhaps we are just testing ourselves. I made a commitment to go back to WW next week. I do watch Dr. Phil's shows about weight loss and at the time I am watching I feel I can do it too. However, the next day I start off with the proper breakfast and then lunch is pretty good but then it's those snacks after dinner that do the most damage.

Well I have to go because I work tomorrow and need to get up at 4:00.

Take care and we can do it!

Anita

Mornin' chickies ......... just a quick call before work. It is a frosty morning here today but it is to be sunny for most of the day. I love those sort of winter mornings.

Nita - up at 4 WOW that is like getting up in the middle of the night to me! & is early enough for me!

Patty - I am sure you are glad to get that long day over and done with. When you find out how we are to stop bringing the wrong foods in please let us all know!!

Halgal - I think you have it all in a nut shell - "eating well, and exercising their behinds offffffff!" I think the DR Phil books would be easier to read ......... for me anyway!!

Thin, Michelle, Littlechick, CAt, Chacha and anyone I have forgotten ......... I hope you get to call in soon.




Keep going
Some days it's difficult to see the progress you're making. Some days it may even seem that you're moving backwards. Keep going. The moment you've been working toward gets ever closer as you move persistently through each day.
Each effort, whether you can see it or not, moves you forward. Even the seeming failures make you stronger and push you in the direction of your goal.

Those who keep going only when the going is good, will never make it all the way. The value of achievement is built upon the difficulties you must cross through in order to reach it.

Keep going not only when the going is good. Persist in your efforts even when they seem to be pointless, even when you cannot feel any progress. For the progress is most certainly there. Keep going, and you will surely see it soon enough.

-- Ralph Marston

Hi chickies~~~ i am sorry that i have not posted in awhile...but now i shouldn't have any excuses! Got a laptop YAY!! DH and i saw one offered at Circuit City that 2 wks ago was 800 some dollars, they dropped it(w/rebates of course) to 650 so we went and put it on the charge card. Now we are looking for a good deal on the wireless card. Then i MIGHT be able to get on line right in our "home" (the RV). the owner of this park has an outside antenna so most of the people can get the signal w/o even coming inside. NEat hey? So i am thrilled to be using my own now. And this windows xp home edition even lets DH and i have separate settings and usage. I like that. Seems user friendly. Plus i've learned alot about it last year when i used MIL's so often. She is doing good by the way. It was not her heart at all that was making her arm ache. So it was good to find that out. They figure pinched nerve. Thanks for the prayers tho.

~~1DAY~~sorry to hear about the polyps. Hope they are all benign. I will keep you on the prayer chain :angel: :angel: 's sent your way. It is very tiring after it's all done. Glad you could just rest. When i had that done i just wished i could do a liquid diet once in awhile on my own...but i just can't it seems! Oh well, i have been walking alot, and swimming too. Hope something gets a pound or two to drop off.

~~NITA~~good bowling scores. YGG~~ Glad to hear you are re-joining WW. Seems like it's the only way i can lose too. But i want to do like Dr. Phil says and just not be weighing and measuring everything, but then i get so lax. It is the pits when a person gains so much back after all the hard work we did for over a year!!! May have to start working out in the exercise room too. they do have air cond. in there, so when it gets hotter that would be a heavenly room to be in.

Hi to Mooz, Halgal, ChaCha, Little chick, Michellez, CAT....just where all of you?? missing quite a few. I hope we can get this thread busier soon. I'm going to try harder starting right now!!! ~~Wishing you all well :grouphug: :wave: thinlizie

quick hello to bring us to the top..
will post later...

Hi Gang :wave:
Sorry I have been MIA for so long. I never seem to get the emails when someone posts anymore. And I forget to just keep checking in. I need to make it habit again.
Anyways it seems like everyone is doing well. I am disappointed with the Dr Phil challenge. Been on that for quite a while, but still nothing. I just can't seem to make a dent lately. Very disappointing. Soon it will be spring again..... :cry:
Luckily the weather has been a little nicer. It's been about 40, so everything is melting.....kinda sloppy. But you can get outside without bundling all up.

Well gang.... Have a great day!!

:flow2: :grouphug: :wave:

Hi Ladies,

Just stopped in to say "hello." I went to our new Arena today because they had a free Business Expo going on. One of my main reasons for going was to find out where my seat is for the Clay Aiken Concert on April 2nd. This Arena is brand new and is about 4 minutes from my home. I also spoke to one of the Guest Service Reps and I asked him if they were taking applications for part-time workers. He said he thought they were. I picked up an application and I thought if I worked some evenings at the Arena it might keep me from going to the refrigerator. He says he is not doing this for the pay--$6.50 per hour--but he has been doing this since December and really enjoys meeting all the people. What do you think group--does it sound like fun to you!

Knowing that I am going to join WW next Wednesday, it seems all I want to do is eat. I am sure I can get through this because I definitely do not want to gain back the 50 lbs. I have lost. And I do know it comes on a lot faster than it comes off!

Thanks to all of you for listening to my woes.

Take care,
Anita

p.s. Thin, when you get a chance please give me a call!

Good Mornin' chickies - looks like it is going to be another nice day here. This week has been great - well the weather has. My eating could be better. I have made my mind up to give up ice-cream and cake etc., for Lent but that seems to make me feel that I can eat away at those sort of things now know that I will be without them for 6 weeks!! It is just like I have been doing for years .......... starting a diet on a Monday and then feeling like eating everything and anything in the lead up to the start of the "Monday Diet"
If my 'Monday Diets' even lasted for all of Monday I was very lucky. They maybe lasted until the evening and then I gave in again. I am only fooling myself and for my own good I should be giving up the ice-cream etc., from this minute onwards ............. but will I? ........ can I? It remains to be seen!! Watch this space!!
On a positive note I did get quite a good workout at the linedancing last night and I will hopefully get for 2 and maybe even 3 walks today.
Orla went down to Dublin yesterday for 4/5 days to visit her boyfriend and as Sinead and Paul will not be home until tonight the house is pretty quiet
at the moment.


Thin - great that you have got your own laptop and will hopefully get to post when you want to.

Nita - I know just how you feel about starting WW and feeling like you can eat anything up until then .......... why do we do this to ourselves?

Chacha - as long as you keep on trying and don't give up you will get there.

Patty, Michelle, Halgal, Littlechick, Catlover and anyone I have missed have a great day.




Keep going

Some days it's difficult to see the progress you're making. Some days it may even seem that you're moving backwards. Keep going. The moment you've been working toward gets ever closer as you move persistently through each day.
Each effort, whether you can see it or not, moves you forward. Even the seeming failures make you stronger and push you in the direction of your goal.

Those who keep going only when the going is good, will never make it all the way. The value of achievement is built upon the difficulties you must cross through in order to reach it.

Keep going not only when the going is good. Persist in your efforts even when they seem to be pointless, even when you cannot feel any progress. For the progress is most certainly there. Keep going, and you will surely see it soon enough.

-- Ralph Marston



I am posting this article that someone mentioned in their journal ........


A fluid approach:
What does 8 cups of water a day
do for your digestive system?
By S. Jhoanna Robledo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kerri Carpenter, a Los Angeles buyer for an e-commerce Web site, begins her workday by grabbing a cup of water and setting it by her computer. After she downs it, she gets up to refill it again, repeating this routine throughout the day.
It's a habit she's had for as long as she can remember, religiously following the adage that drinking at least eight cups of water a day is good for your health. "If I don't get enough, I feel like I'm depriving myself of something vital that I really need," Carpenter says.

She's right. Health-care providers say water nourishes the entire body. "Water is a life-sustaining beverage," says Leslie Bonci, a registered dietician and author of The American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. "Every organ in the body needs water."

Keeping the GI tract in fine working order

For water to get where it's needed, it must be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. When you drink water, it travels quickly down the esophagus, through the stomach and into the intestines, where it's partially diffused into the bloodstream, hydrating the body's cells. The kidneys and the bladder make use of some of the water, and what's left goes into the large intestine to move fecal matter.
"Water helps flush the system," says Dr. Donald F. Kirby, a gastroenterologist and chief of the nutrition section at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Va. When there aren't enough fluids in the colon, patients suffer from constipation, a common gastrointestinal ailment.
And one solution to constipation — eating a diet rich in fiber, which can be found in fruits, vegetables and whole grain — can't work without adequate intake of fluids. "Fiber draws water from all sources in the body to make stools softer and easier to pass through," says Bonci.

Water may also play a role in preventing colorectal cancer. The Mayo Clinic cites a study that showed that women who drank more than five glasses of water a day had a risk of colon cancer that was 45 percent less than that of those who drank two or fewer glasses a day.

"If you're drinking enough fluids, you're moving things more efficiently and quickly so toxins won't be sitting in your gut for too long," says Bonci.

No need for eight cups?

Although long accepted as conventional wisdom, the eight-cups-a-day recommendation is now being questioned by some health-care providers. "It's not clear to me that the advice is based on medical science," says Kirby. "That's just a number that may ensure adequate hydration."

Bonci suggests that body weight may be a better gauge. "Take a third of your weight in pounds and that's how many ounces you need to drink daily," she says. A 150-pound woman, for example, will need 50 ounces, which translates to a little more than six cups of water.

Mark Glen, a registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., prefers to recommend anywhere from 64 ounces (8 cups) to 96 ounces (12 cups) of fluid each day. For smaller-framed patients, eight may be enough; those with a medium build can rest easy with 10, while those who are larger-framed may require up to 12 cups of fluid. You may need to drink even more on particularly hot days.

Activity level may increase requirements, too. "People who exercise will need more than the minimum," says Bonci, who also serves as director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "They must drink two to three cups an hour before exercise, one to two bottles of water during, and at least three cups of fluid afterwards."

Experts also say it doesn't matter if all those cups are filled with water. Beverages such as juice and milk also count. Although not ideal because they contain caffeine and sugar, coffee and soda can also help you reach your daily fluid intake goals. Alcohol, however, is another story; although technically a liquid, it can cause dehydration and a host of other health problems.

Signs of dehydration

To stay fully hydrated, Bonci suggests keeping a beverage by your side at all times and drinking early and often. If you find you haven't been drinking enough based on what experts recommend, up your intake gradually. Start by adding a cup to your daily regimen during the first week, and then incorporating more as needed. The point is to meet your minimum as soon as you're able, and not to wait until you're thirsty to drink. "If you're already thirsty, you're already behind the eight ball," says Kirby. You'll know you've had enough to drink if your urine is clear or pale yellow.

When the body is not optimally hydrated, all the organs have to work harder, says Bonci. The body tries to create fluids by doing things like breaking down muscle, which isn't ideal.

Signs of severe dehydration, a potentially life-threatening condition, include lethargy, headaches, dry lips, decreased urination, a burning sensation in the stomach, an abnormally fast heart rate, inability to concentrate and fatigue. If you experience any of these symptoms, reach for a sport drink, says Kirby, which will help replenish the water and salt your body needs. If symptoms don't resolve within minutes, though, call your doctor immediately.

Good Morning Ladies,

Well I got the best news this morning--both my daughters in Ohio lost more weight at WW yesterday. Robin lost 4.8 lbs. for a total of 14.8 lbs. in three weeks. She is so elated because for the first time in a very long time she is sticking to a program. She sent me an e-mail which says: "You really motivated me and Jerri because you look so good!!!!" Jerri lost 3.6 lbs. for a total of 12 lbs. This really motivates me to get back on track. When I went home for my reunion in October is the last time we saw each other and I was at my goal weight. I really didn't say too much about them getting on a program and I realize that all of us have to make up our minds when the time is right to do our own thing! Robin also shared a recipe with me. She calls it the edible salad bowl. You take a tortilla and put it a glass bowl and prick it with a fork and microwave it for about 2-3 minutes and then let it cool off. You then remove it from the bowl and fill it with all your salad options and you can eat the whole thing.

I thought this message might motivate someone to get moving!

Take care,
Anita

Hi chickies~~
The weather has been rather strange for Arizona. It is cloudy again today and looks like a big dust storm is nearby around the valley. I did get to wear shorts for a few days running tho! That felt nice. DH and i walked a few miles this morning. Trying to do it twice a day...but not too successful so far. I think we do it twice and then skip two or three days of that! We are going to the big 'flea market' Mesa Marketplace this afternoon, so i think i'll put the pedometer on and see how many miles i walk in there! That will be interesting.

Still trying to figure out a good cellular service for us...but not having much luck so far. The few that work in our area of the U.P. just don't have good plans. Oh well, that's how it goes when you live rural like we do.

~~NITA~~that is so great that your daughters are doing so well on WW. And i know that when you do join again you will get back to the losing side of it. :) You have the willpower to succeed. I know dr.Phil says it's not about willpower, but sometimes i think he is just looking at things one-sided. He says 'measuring and weighing things won't work'. He compared it to putting an alcholic behind a bar mixing drinks or something like that. I am jsut not going to worrry about how much i lose per week any longer. Just that i continue to move, eat better (which i have since i've gotten here). WE don't have alot of snacks around our "home", but we have peanuts in the shell. That is a food that you can't just 'devour' so that should be o.k. providing i don't overdo. And so far so good. Thanks for the tortilla salad recipe.
and I will call you soon. If this weather improves so we can ride our bike and meet you somewhere, but the forcast is for chances of rain M, T & W next week! What is that all about?? Or if you wanted to drive to mesa and we could meet at a mall or something? I'll call ya anyway on it.
The part-time job of working at that new arena by you sounds great! you might be able to buy tickets ahead for good concerts..who knows of the possibilities. I say go for it!

~~~Mooz~~Yes, our eating always could get a little better couldn't it?? LOL
Keep up the linedancing ...at least it's fun exercise, and you won't quit something so fun right?? YGG

~~CHACHA~~~ I understand what you are saying about not seeing results....at least not fast enough. There was one girl on dr.phil who is very young and lost ALOT, and she of course doesn't have that saggy skin either, if she can make these changes a permanent part of her life she will be sooo much healthier. I wish i had someone like a dr.phil when i was in my 20's so i would have learned back then what i know now! I still say all those years of yo-yoing does do stuff to our metabolism. The pounds just do not want to come off any more!Not without major workouts. I really need to try to find some exercise that i will add besides the walking. One that i will stick to.

Well, chicks, i will end here and try to get back tomorrow. Don't have the wireless card just yet, but i hope to be able to access the internet from my 'home' soon.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,
Here it is a saturday & i'm having to work. I'm not having to work, but I was out on tuesday for tests & my desk just got bogged down.

Nita - that is great about your daughters... it's getting me motivated. I think it would be alot of fun working at the arena, especially if you got to work inside where the concert was going on.. That way you could see the concert free, or if they had sporting events.

Thin - hope you find alot of good buys at the flea market. I need to look for my pedometer. I know that made a difference when I could see the steps taken.

Mooz - I'm thinking of giving up ice cream for lent too... we'll maybe...still have a few days to decide.

Chacha - I know it's frustrating when you don't see results... But keep in mind that your blood pressure could be going down, as well as your cholestrol.. other things like that... Don't give up thought...

we'll i'm out of here... were having a church Mardi Gras party tonight, mainly for the kids... and I don't know why but i volunteered to work a game booth...oh, it will be fun... maybe i'll meet a single dad :smug:

Hi, everyone. Sorry I have been out so long--can't even try to catch up. Had a spell of some nasty coughing, a little computer trouble--anyway, I miss you chicks, and I am back.

There is a program called nodiets for life--it gives thanks to Dr. Phil and is rather like his approach. I had seriously thought of WW--my daughter did great with it. She's been so careless about the quality of what she eats, and her health is better and she's lost 30+ pounds. How did I lose that motivation I had before?

Will try to catch up and hope everyone's health problems are better.

Incidentally, my DSiL went on Atkins and lost a bunch of wt as well as her BP and other problems going down. But I don't think it's for everyone.

G'night all!

Catlover

Hello chicks~~
And welcome back ~~Catlover~~ we've missed you too! Hope you are over that cough/cold thing. I know that last one that both DH & I had at the same time(when we drove to AZ) just lasted and lasted! I am diligently taking my vitamins now hoping i've built up some immunity if nothing else. Is that nodiets thing on the web? I will try to look it up later.

We couldn't walk this morning as it was pouring! And it rained most of the night here too. That should be catching them up a bit w/rainfall. But i got a workout at his mothers place. She needed help w/scrubbing her floors and cleaning the bathrooms so DH & I went over there for that today. She really appreciates us helping and is letting us use her car during this rain period. They say it still could be here tomorrow too, so i am very grateful that she can borrow it to us. And just now i said to DH lets go and walk cause it was trying to be sunny, and the rain started again! I tell ya. Not at all like it should be in AZ, still temps are below average and i have not worn shorts all that much.

I forgot to wear the pedometer the other day at the flea market :( C.R.S. happening for sure :lol: But i figure it must have been at least another 3/4 of a mile that we walked during our shopping.

We got the wireless adapter for the notebook now. Best Buy had the best price in their Sunday Ads...and we took the ad to Circuit City which is closer to us,( and where we had bought the notebook 'puter at ) and they beat their sale price. Plus at Best Buy it was that price AFTER two $10.00 rebates were mailed in and they(CC) beat it right there at the till. I liked that! Anyhoo, it actually reaches from our RV to the antenna on the main building! Was pretty suprised when it did reach. Feels very weird to get internet right here at our little table.

~~~1DAY~~How was the kids Mardi Gras party? Hope you had fun too. How did the tests come out for you?

Hi to ~MOOZ~~~~CHACHA~~~ ~~~NITA~~~ ~~HALGAL~~
~~Little chick--where are ya girl??

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Thin--
Shame about the weather.Actually quite beautiful here.

The web site is livedietfree.com. You can sign up for a week free, if you're interested.

Hard being back at work. They've added some computer stuff--so of course everything falls apart, even quite ordinary functions.

Got a good walk this am in the nice weather, and did quite a bit of yoga on my vacation. And I am feeling better and more energetic.

Got some new yoga specifically on helping overcome insomnia, and it really seems to help.

Night all--
Catlover

Mornin' Chickies~~
It was not raining overnight or this morning so we did get our walk in. But there sure are some nasty clouds over the mountains here. It's cool and actually humid for here! I could tell that when we were walking fast. Reminded me of being home. It's not often that it's humid in the desert. But the rain has filled all the low spots in the park and it sits there till the managers and workers get them all pumped out. It does not seem to be able to absorb into the ground, unlike where i'm from. Even if it takes a day longer to finally soak in it does.


We have a pizza party to go to today. A bunch from the resort are meeting at Organ Stop. They put on a whole show for you on the huge organ that it is centered around. Playing for us and telling us about it. I will try to eat mostly salad, as they have unlimited salad and pizza for the price of $6.50

Thanks ~~CAT~~for the web site name. I will read that later today. Glad you are finding a way to unwind and sleep better using yoga.

I will pop in later now that it is MUCH easier to use the computer. For this one i only have to fight DH!!!! :lol:

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hey Everyone...

I thought I had better let you all know I am having serious computer problems. I am waiting on a friend to come by now to pick up my tower to reformat the hard drive (to XP Thin!) add some memory and a CDwriter. So it will be ready to roll when I get it back.

It has been slower than slow and decides if it will go to a website at random. So, it's been difficult to get here.

I'll miss you all this next week, and will post as soon as I get my computer back.

Yes... Moozzzz exercise is KEY. We can do this.

All the best my friends!

Just a quick pop in to push us up to the top. Busy day tomorrow--may not check in.

Hope everyone has a fine day

At least our computers were working better at work! I've also played a few minutes of meditative music (on headphones) at lunch the last couple of days and it seems to help with the pm stress.

Hal--will miss you. Hope the computer gets right soon.

Catlover

Good afternoon chickies. Wednesday again! Today is Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent so I am going to attempt to go off ice-cream and cake for Lent mainly for health reasons. By the time Easter comes I should be well off it!! I need to shift a bit more weight before I feel I am truly happy with myself. The weather here is very cold and I have had the cold since the weekend but today it has been a bit better. I did get walking most days but I don't think I will get today ......... too much to do and Art Class is tonight.
I got the following in an e-mail so I am sharing the giggles ............


Why We Love Children

1. A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he'd found a cat, but it was
dead.

"How do you know that the cat was dead?" she asked her pupil.

"Because I pissed in its ear and it didn't move," answered the child
innocently.

"You did WHAT ? ! ?" the teacher exclaimed in surprise.

"You know,"explained the boy, "I leaned over and went 'Pssst!' and it
didn't move."


2. A small boy is sent to bed by his father. Five minutes later .........
"Daaad"
"What?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"
"No, You had your chance. Lights out.Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad....."
"WHAT
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

I told you NO! If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later......"Daaaa-aaaad....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?"


3. An exasperated mother, whose son was always getting into
mischief,finally
asked him "How do you expect to get into Heaven?"

The boy thought it over and said,

"Well, I'll run in and out and in and out and keep slamming the door
until St. Peter says, 'For Heaven's sake, Dylan, come in or stay out!'"


4. One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was
tucking her
son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked
with a tremor in his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?"

The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug.
"I can't dear," she said. "I have to sleep in Daddy's room."

A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice:

"The big sissy."


5. It was that time, during the Sunday morning service, for the
children's
sermon. All the children were invited to come forward. One little
girl was
wearing a particularly pretty dress and, as she sat down, the pastor
leaned over and said, "That is a very pretty dress. Is it your
Easter Dress?"
The little girl replied, directly into the pastor's clip-on
microphone,

"Yes, and my Mom says it's a ***** to iron."


6. When I was six months pregnant with my third child, my three year
oll came into the room when I was just getting ready to get into the
shower.

She said, "Mommy, you are getting fat!"

I replied, "Yes, honey, remember Mommy has a baby growing in her
tummy."

"I know," she replied, but what's growing in your butt?"



7. A little boy was doing his math homework. He said to himself,

"Two plus five, that son of a ***** is seven. Three plus six,that
son of a ***** is nine...."

His mother heard what he was saying and gasped, "What are you
doing?"The
little boy answered, "I'm doing my math homework, Mom."

"And this is how your teacher taught you to do it?" the mother asked.

"Yes," he answered.

Infuriated, the mother asked the teacher the next day, "What are you
teaching my son in math?"

The teacher replied, "Right now, we are learning addition."

The mother asked, "And are you teaching them to say two plus two,
that son
of a ***** is four?"

After the teacher stopped laughing, she answered, "What I taught them
was two plus two, THE SUM OF WHICH, is four."


8. One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken
Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to
the farmer and said, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

The teacher paused then asked the class,

"And what do you think that farmer said?"

One little girl raised her hand and said,

"I think he said: 'Holy ****! A talking chicken!'"

The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.


9. A certain little girl, when asked her name, would reply,

"I'm Mr. Sugarbrown's daughter."

Her mother told her this was wrong, she must say, "I'm Jane
Sugarbrown."

The Vicar spoke to her in Sunday School, and said, "Aren't you Mr.
Sugarbrown's daughter?"

She replied, "I thought I was, but mother says I'm not."


10. A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go outside and play with
the
boys?"

Her mother replied, "No, you can't play with the boys, they're too
rough."

The little girl thought about it for a few moments and asked, "If I
can find a smooth one, can I play with him?"


11. A little girl goes to the barber shop with her father.

She stands next to the barber chair, while her dad gets his hair cut,
eating a snack cake.

The barber says to her, "Sweetheart, you're gonna get hair on your
Twinkie."

She says, "Yes, I know, and I'm gonna get boobs too."

Hello ladies,

I can't believe it's already wednesday, this week is going by too fast. I have not gotten any results yet. I go and see the GI doctor on friday. I'm assuming that since I haven't heard from him, that there were no major problems.

Cat - glad to hear from you. Sorry to hear that you had been sick.

Hal - Hope you get your computer fixed soon. How are you doing on the Adkins? I have got to get back on track, but it's so hard.

Thin - sounds like you got a good deal on that adapter. The mardi gras party was fun, I worked the bingo game. There were lots of kids... some of the adults could tell that I was a Bingo player, I was coming up with the different types of games...like the postage stamp, or 6 pack. Have fun at your pizza party. I know that would be hard for me knowing that I paid for all you can eat.

Mooz - Hope you get to feeling better. How did Paul's interview go? You had said he was interviewing for a job here in the states.

we'll I need to run.. Hope everyone is having a great day.

LittleChick, Nita, Mitchellez - Hope to hear from you all

Hi Chicks~~ Just a quick note to say HI. The Organ Stop Pizza place was alot of fun. The organist shows and tells us all about the million and a half value Wurlizter pipe organ. It was truely amazing. It has over 5500 pipes and the wind needed to generate it is run by four huge turbine blowers. Has 43 foot ceilings with awesome acoustics. I did eat a few too many slices of pizza, just can;t seem to live up to my goals lately. But then for the evening meal i ate very light to try to even things up :dizzy: nutty aren't we?

Tonite is Hawaiian night here at our resort. I tell ya, too much good food and drinks all over the place!! I borrowed 2 flowery dresses(one is an actual muu-muu ) from his mom. a lady here needed one for tonite as i did. So now we will fit into the "theme" of the night. I am making a seafood bake w/some potatoes in it. HOpe it turns out good.

Got to go get ready now. I will get back on here tomorrow to check up on everyones' day.

:angel: :angel: to 1 day ~~ and all the chicks who need them. Hope the doctor lets you know soon, but like you said must not be bad news or you would have heard by now. Take care all :grouphug: :wave:
thinlizzie

Hi Everyone,
Just a short message to let you know I did re-join WW this afternoon and tomorrow I will start the program. I managed to gain 8 lbs. over my allotted goal of 142. However, I probably gained another 2 lbs. today because I was eating everything in sight. Will check in tomorrow after work!

Take care,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Nita - Congrats on joining Ww. This is the first step in recommitting yourself to a better lifestyle. Don't worry about the 8lb, if you set your mind to it, you can lose it.

As for me I have got to recommitt myself too. There are alot of things going on here at work & when I get stressed I reach for food... junk... candy. I have got to start focusing on the choices I make.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Hi Patty,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Today I was at work at 6:30 a.m. and even though this was my first day OP, I had so much more energy than I have had for a long time. I had my breakfast at 5:00 a.m. and then I had an orange at about 10:00 a.m. I then had lunch at 12:15 which consisted of two slices of whole wheat bread (1 pt); 4 thin slices of lowfat ham and 1 piece of cheddar cheese and of course a little mayo and lettuce. I then had sugar free orange jello with a little coolwhip; and then I even ate a small apple. Oh, I did have a diet coke with my lunch. I believe eating the fruit really gives you energy and also keeps you from eating candy, sweets, etc. I even measured my cereal and milk this morning. The Leader said that is important--portion control. I believe after you are on any type of program after a while some of us get lax and think oh a little more isn't going to hurt anything. Trust me, it's those little extras that add up to a whole lot of pounds.

When I was at the Business Expo I was introduced to some new type of athletic shoes. They have metal rings built right into the sole of the shoe. They are not visible when you look at them. Supposedly they make your feet feel really great and they are supposed to be great for running. I will let you know.

Here is a recipe we received at the meeting:

Banana Split Smoothie
1-1/4 cups sliced ripe bananas (2 med)
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (8 ounce) carton vanilla low-fat yogurt

Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender, process until smooth. Add yogurt, and process until blended. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings (serving size=1 cup)

Per serving: 3 points

Take care,
Anita

Mooz--also hope you are better, and Thin, will say a prayer for good news tomorrow. 1day, hope the party was fun.

Sat the NAACP is having their soul food luncheon. I'd like to support the group, but fried chicken, red beans & rice . . . is this wise?

Hi all~~just a quick check-in. It is raining again this morning in the valley!! I tell ya, it's pretty strange to see all this in such a normal dry state as Az.
We are now planning a trip on the 'dolly'. Its a huge paddleboat that does tours on Canyon Lake near here. We won a gift certificate for a good portion off recently but you must use it in Feb. and Feb. is nearly gone! How that happened i don't know.

Will try to walk once it stops.

~~CAT~~ i think it was 1day who was waiting for the call from her doc, but i will still take the prayers! I need every one of those:) You are right the soul food sounds like a lot of bad foods for ya. Will they at least add a salad? Yesterday i got to taste this spinach/strawberries and red onion salad. Was it delish. I have GOT to find out what the dressing was. I would love to have it again some time.

Wishing you all a great day~~ Friday is a very good feeling for our working chicks. Post soon.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Good afternoon chickies - just a quick call and catch-up with you all. I should be doing housework but I am taking a little break!
It is a beautiful sunny day here but quite cold. I am off all rubbish food for Lent but I find that I now eat too much bread instead! I really have to watch my intake there as bread seems to be quite high in salt which is a no-no for Blood Pressure!
I have been for a 2 mile walk and hope to get for another later.
On Thursday I went a different walk as the footpaths were slippery where I usually go so I took my camera with me and took some photographs. I have posted them to Webshots and the addy is community.webshots.com/album/121245839uroDIr?900 ……. If anyone is interested.
Gotta get back to the housework now so have a great weekend all.

Mornin' All~~ Got my 2 mile walk in also, Mooz! I hope to add on some more steps/miles later. Thanks for the link to your newest photos. Loved them. What bodies of water are there? Looks to be smaller river /creek in one? And photos 6 & 7 what was that pier of rock upcroppings? Just curious. Beautiful scenes as usual.

I think we picked a grand day to go on the steamboat Dolly. It is sunny and clear today, and i will take my camera to get some shots of the canyon and the lake we go on...only thing is i did not take my software for the camera(didn't think we'd ever take the plunge and get a notebook!) so i can't show you the pics till i go home in May. Next year i will be much better prepared to live down here for these winter months. I certainly need to bring more sweat/workout pants..& not so many shorts, as so far it has been below average and rainy for Arizona! Beats the high snowbanks at home tho! My friend emailed me one showing the banks(where they plow their driveway) to be as high as the back of their full size Ford pickup! Wow. Glad i'm here.

I will do my best to stop by here later. HOpe to hear from more of you today.
:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Happy Saturday to all of You,

This is just a short message to let you know I am finally on track and I even put the scale away. I truly believe one of my downfalls is getting on the scale. Today I slept in until 8:00, something I rarely do but I guess I needed the rest. Have a lot of things scheduled for today so I will close for now.

Take care,
Anita

WTG everyone!

Mooz--there are low-sodium breads, at least in this country. I would think there'd be a market there as well.

Well, I am a happy Cat. Got a good walk in also, had a good job review--and a raise!--and even started a very inspirational lenten book.

See y layta.

Good Mornin' Chicks~~Waking up here to a much better forcast. Should be quite sunny and near 65 degrees. Tho we do have an event to attend midday...its called a Michigan Picnic. This is at the village that DMIL lives at. She and another lady is in charge of it this year, and we will go early to help her set up things and then stay for it also. She has some games planned that have to do w/Michigan.(like Bingo--but to place the dot on that square you need to find someone in the room who can say they did what was in that square--example: Drove over the mackinaw bridge. Then that person can put their name in your square. Then another one is stickers that you have put on your back, and you walk around and ask people questions to help you find out who or what you are. And these ones can be Arizona or Michigan things/people. That sounds pretty neat. Like one was Alice Cooper(the rock star who is from AZ) I don't know if too many there will even know who he is...course he does golf alot, so maybe i'm wrong. But it could get hilarious.

Yesterday's ride on the Dolly was fun. We got to see about 7 long horn sheep. They really blend into the desert landscape so it was very hard to spot them. Too far for a good picture w/my camera. A few osprey and eagles flying above too. But it was cold! The sun had went behind some dark clouds for the whole 90 minute trip, and the winds blew. I was dressed for it tho. My hooded jacket under another windbreaker jacket, so i had the hood on most of the time.

~~~CATLOVER~~~Way to go on getting a good review and a raise! YGG! That makes a person feel good. Keep up the walks and your lenten journal. Tell us more about that if you can.

~~NITA~~~ I just know you are going to do great on the WW plan again. They do motivate us to try harder. Seeing all the success' and getting new recipes and tips. It DOES work. And i know you will get back to your goal wt. Keep us updated w/those recipes. OH< and how does that 4 serving banana smoothie keep? Or does your DH help you drink it? Is it easier to just cut the serving size when you make it??

All for now chicks. Got to eat 1/2 an orange and get my walk in.~~ :wave: :grouphug:
thinlizzie

Hi Thin,

I haven't made the smoothie yet, but I agree with you I will either cut it in half or even a fourth. Yesterday I found some Vanilla Alba--a milk product I used years ago when I was also doing WW. It makes the most wonderful milkshake WW style. It was a total of 3 points when I added 1/2 cup of skim milkk and 1/4 frozen banana and about 1/4 frozen strawberries. It really fills you up.

You are so correct--going back to WW does get you enthusiastic again, especially because my bowling partner also joined and after all, I can't let her lose more than me. We bowled together today and she said she really got hungry the first day but it has gotten better since. This is the first time she has ever done WW so I know it will work like a charm. My older daughter lost another couple of pounds--making it over 17 lbs. in four weeks. The other daughter has lost 14 lbs. I am so very proud of them!

I hope the rest of you nice ladies are having a "wonderful" Sunday and that most of you are staying OP--no matter which plan you have chosen. As you can see, I am enthusiastic again so perhaps some of it will rub off. I still have not gotten the scale from under the bed and don't intend to until the day I weigh in. Maybe I will wait until I get back from the meeting--at this point I am not really sure!

Well ladies I have a lot of fun projects planned for thsi afternoon so I will close for now! :lol: :lol:

Take care,
Anita

Hello ladies,
Got good new from my gasto doctor. Everything was fine except, I did have signs of gastrics. I asked about that he said it was basically a irration of the stomach lining. Could be caused by medication, or food. I just need to take my medications on a daily basis & I need to start listening to my relaxation tapes & I need to start eating more healthy. I need to keep a log of what bothers my stomach. I still have a pain though & we talked about that, he said I needed to go see my obgyn & have that look at. I noticed that I don't have my pain when i'm on my period.. so I need to be sure & talk to my doc about that.
Went to the casinos yesterday & got back today... Did not do well at all, but I did have fun...

Nita - I hope your motivatation starts to rub off on me. I know I need to start some program because it's going to be time to start wearing shorts soon. That is great news about your daughters weight loss.

Cat - Everyone likes a raise, glad you got one.

Mooz - I will go look at your pictures after this. I'm sure they are beautiful.

Thin - I saw on the news where you all were getting lots of rain. Glad you were able to enjoy your day trip.

Did anyone watch the Oscars? I"m so glad Sean Penn won.. Has anybody seen that movie. He played such a great part... he made you feel his pain...
We'll I need to get going, need to do some laundry, and go to the grocery store..

Patty,

I am happy to hear about your report from your doctor. I know you are going to get motivated here real soon! You are so correct--short season is just around the corner.

I did watch the Oscars and I was happy Sean won. I have not seen the movie but when it is on DVD I will buy it. I was sort of disappointed at all the oscars being won by Return of the King--I did not see this movie either because it's not the kind of movies I enjoy.

When I was at the gym today I asked one of the employees if anyone had thought of getting a group together who needed to lose weight and perhaps follow the Dr. Phil program. She said she had thought about it and is going to talk to the owners today. I told her I would be more than happy to help organize it.

Take care,
Anita

Evenin' Chicks~~

Walked & rode my pedal bike alot today. Hope i'm toning up at least. But there are just too many good foods to be tried here. Yesterdays Mi.Picnic had too many things plus dessert table, which i can never leave alone! I need to workout all day long to make up for these potlucks!

Tonite the single guy we met here in the RV park had us over for a beef roast. At least that was a pretty healthy meal. Crockpot spuds and carrots too. Tossed salad too. He has to go home to Illinois soon, so we have a few things planned...by Sat. we leave for our week in Vegas, and he will probably be gone when we return. He is fun and kinda lonely. And he has been nice enough to take us places in his truck when we only have the motorcycle. And all those rainy days it was needed!


~~Nita~~ is VAnilla Alba like the malted milk powder or?? Where do you buy it?
I haven't seen Mystic River yet either, but it certainly sounds like i should rent it asap too. I did enjoy all the Lord of the Rings movies, so i was very glad that they won all their nominations. I read the Hobbit when i was in high school, my DH has read all the novels, and he really enjoyed the way they did the movies. They certainly had a novel idea to film them all at once, kept the trilogy going to the end it deserved. Sometimes the money is not put in for #2 on these types of movies, and then you await it and it never happens!
Soon Hidalgo will be released(starring Viggo Mortenson from L.O.R.'s) that big race across the desert on horseback. Looked pretty cool, we think we will see that one on the big screen. Probably so much better on that.

Glad that your daughters are still doing so good on their plans. Helps you to stay motivated just hearing about it! :)

~~1day~~ Glad your doc let you know things are o.k. And knowing you can get a hold on the gastritis by watching diet and taking meds will be more motivation to keep you on track. Wishing you good luck for a jump start on the journaling and then onto better health~

Well chicks, gotta go. I will check in tomorrow.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Just a quick check--glad to hear the news, 1day.I think the meditation tapes can really help--I have been less flustered at work since I've been listening to mine. What kind of tapes do you have?

Hi to everyone else--I need to get to bed. Our church is having an early-morning Bible study for Lent that I am trying to go to. Need to sleep.

Cat

Hello chicks~~
pretty quiet on here today. Thought i'd post a bit to bump us up. Been a busy 2 days. We are trying to sell this motorhome so we had a bit of washing n polishing to do yesterday...got that all done. And it was mostly overcast, so that made it easier.
Today we got the part needed for the furnace, expensive. But how can we sell it w/o that working. So now DH is installing it and hooking it up to the LP gas again. I have to go see what i can do to help him. Be his "go-for" at least.

Got my walk in and a bit of pedaling the bike too. Maybe do a bit more, it's not raining yet. Tho they do call for it sometime today or tomorrow.

All for now:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Good Morning Everyone!

I can't believe it, it is Wednesday again and tomorrow is my day at the office. Time surely goes very fast. I am sticking to my program, however, I must confess I am not writing down what I am eating. I know for a fact if I did I would lose weight a lot more quickly. My friend and I are going to weigh in tomorrow after I get off work. You will be very proud of me because I have not gotten on the scale and I have thought about it but decided I will be happy or disappointed when I weigh in tomorrow. A guy is bringing over a couple of Spiro shoes for me to try. This is exciting because I do have a foot problem and hopefully these shoes will take the problem away. I will let you know.

Thin -- I am going to be in Mesa on April 3rd for a wedding which starts at 4:30 and it being held at the Landmark Restaurant, 809 West Main Street, Mesa, AZ. I thought perhaps we could at least meet that day and at least introduce ourselves. Let me know.

Yesterday I experimented with a veggie-chicken dinner. I first sauteed mushrooms and zuccini and added some left-over whole kernol corn. I cut up one-half of a chicken breast I had cooked on the grill and one can of DelMonte Savory Santa Fe Corn. I then made one-half cup of Quinoa which is a wheat and gluten free product in the microwave. My DH thought it was quite good and I even have enough left for another meal. This is a good way to get those veggies in.

Well I had better go and get some sewing done.

Take care ladies and have a "super" day.

Anita

Hello Ladies,
Just a quick check in... Real busy at work.

Cat - my meditation tape is old. Gosh probably 8 years old. I was going to go by Barnes & Noble to see what is out there. Do you have any suggestions?

Thin - are you all planning on selling the RV? That is nice of that single guy to run you all around.

Nita - I hope you and Thin get a chance to meet. I'm sure you will do great at your weigh in.

You know having these test done & the doctors not coming up with anything major I have decided it's time to get off my butt. I kept saying oh, it's my stomach, or whatever... and now I have to accept it just age...So I need to get back in shape....

Here's to a great day for everyone...

Mooz, Hal, LittleChick, Chacha, Mitchellez - Hope to hear from all of you all.

Mornin' Chicks~~ it is raining again in the valley! :( can you believe it? It started in the pre-dawn hours and its not wanting to stop. Hopefully soon it will tho. I want to get my walk in.

Yes, the motorhome is for sale, but we have only had one phone call and they wanted the queen sz walk-around bed in back, which we don't have. Just a full sz, and one side is against the wall. So it is hard to make and some people decided on just that alone. So if we don't sell it it still be ours cause we owe some money on it yet.

1DAY~~~guess you and i need to make a life plan we can stick with(and live with in order to stick with it!) I need to eat healthier instead of trying all the foods available at these parties and potlucks! I suppose the thing to do would be not to attend, since i don't have much willpower. what would Dr. Phil recommend?
?

~~Nita~~ that date sounds do-able. We will take a ride someday to see just where this is on Main St. We don't go downtown Mesa too much, but i know i can find it. We could meet a bit earlier so you don't miss any of the party or something. Talk to you more about it soon.

Where are all the other chicks lately?? Miss you all.

Will write again tonite. :wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,

Thin - If you sell the motorhome, how are you all going to get back home? Or do you all have your eyes on another one? I think Dr. Phil would say which one do you want the most? Your health or a few minutes of satisfaction. Or he would say go ahead and eat that piece of cake, but put in 30 - 45 minutes more of exercise for that day. My problem is the exercise. Right now i'm maintaining, and I'm eating more junk than I should. I keeping thinking if I were exercising I might actually lose some weight.

we'll I need to run... talk to you all later...

Hi
Just a quick post back. We have his sister driving down w/our pickup (for a vac.) and flying back, so soon we will have our truck to use. And use that to drive home and tow our motorcycle behind. That was how we planned this out this year. Selling this motorhome would be great(we'd just buy a cheap trailer to leave on our spot down here) and it would get us out of alot of debt, but if we can't we will continue to pay payments and leave it here for our "home" for next year. We know we will return to the valley as long as DH's mom is living. We pretty much stay put --unlike alot of the RV-ers. Their thing is to move around every few weeks it seems, but not us. We have ties here, so when we get here it's our home base.

You're right Patty, we can eat some treats but expect to do a bunch more exercise to make up for it that day!!!! :dance: Best start moving. The rain is supposed to be gone by 2. I sure hope so. :)

Lets all move our butts more today~~ :)

All for now,
thinlizzie :grouphug: :wave:

Just a very quick call. I did not have a lot of time to spend at the computer this week so I thought I'd better drop in for a wee minute. I did move my butt today and went for 4 walks - one on my own and the others with 3 different friends. I never miss a chance to go walking - I love it. It is 12.15 here so I must go get my beauty sleep :lol: so Goodnight all!!

Mornin' Chicks~~Well, i thought it was rainy when i last posted...but it got quite bad last evening and it has rained/poured all night long and still is not out of here. And their first guess of the sun coming back by 2 p.m. was totally wrong. I guess the storm just keeps spinning right over us, and maybe these big mountains locked it in?? I don't know, but this is something else.

~~NITA~~ Did your drive home from work last night go ok?? it was just terribly flooded in Phoenix from the pictures i saw on the news. I was certainly thinking about you. All the low areas here in the park are full of water, then they have to put pumps in them and pump it out for days. It just does not soak in like in Michigan. I still can't get over that.
I haven't yet heard a figure this morn. on how much rainfall has come in this storm...course it's not over yet either! We had thunder and lightning at sunset last night as the storm reached the Apache Junction area. And some hail too.

There is supposed to be a small flea market right here at our park today.People who make crafts or have things to sell can sign up ahead and do it right outside of their lot , or get a table on the patio near the main building. Soon i will go see if that is even going to happen today. It is not cooperating with the weather right now.

~~MOOZ~~ good to hear from you even if you stayed up late to post! Hope you got a good nights rest. And great that you did all that walking. It's nice to have a partner, and sounds like you have alot of them ready to walk. You ought to get one of those pedometers, with doing 4 seperate walks, you must be totalling some miles /steps! YGG~~~


Today if i have to to get my walk done, i'll get my bike rain gear on and walk. They do say the 80 degree temps are very close now...maybe Sun or Mon. I hope so. Course we'll be off on our Vegas trip, so it won't matter till we get back. I don't need it too hot when being a tourist in Vegas.

Talk to you all later~:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Hi chicks :wave:
How is everyone doing? Been pretty quiet on the boards lately.
The weather here was really nice for the last week or two. All the
snow has melted and I don't think temps got below freezing. This morning
I walked out of the house and it was 56, but this is Wisconsin and temps
have been going down ever since. And we're supposed to get snow tonite.

Well, the good news is that I booked a cruise for April. Maybe that will help
get things on track again. I started back on track again as of Sunday.

Gotta run, busy week at work. Hope everone has a GREAT weekend.
:flow2: :grouphug:

Hello Ladies,

Mooz - WTG for getting your walks in today. Like Thin said you should look into a pedometer to track you steps.

Thin - sounds like a good plan to me of leaving the motorhome there or if you sell it and buy a trailer to leave it there. Your drive back and forth would probably go alot faster than driving the motorhome.

Chacha - A cruise would definitely be a big incentive. I would be so afraid of how much I would gain on the trip. But I hear now they have all kinds of exercise or things to do other than just eat... Where are you all going? Now what plan are you doing? I need to get back on track with South Beach but it's so hard...

We got lots of rain & wind yesterday. The wind was so hard it blew a few 18 wheelers over on their side. I think they are looking to see if it was a tornado or not...But today it is such a beautiful day. Our high today is 70 degrees. I would like to work in the yard this weekend but it's so wet.

We'll I need to run... Hope everyone is having a great day..

Just a quick note to say hello, and I am back on line! I am learning lots of new software... and must make the brief. I'll write more soon...! Great to hear from everyone...

Hey did anyone catch the girl that wrote the book "Passing For Thin"? She was on The Today Show today. She lost 190 pounds the old fashioned way. I believe I'll either pick the book up running errands today or order on online.

Anyway... great to be back on line!

Hi, chicks--

Well, had bad news from dr, but not too bad (probably). Turns out I have an elevated white count and some abnormal cells. The dr. says of course when you say cancer everyone panics, but this looks like chronic leukemia, and people usually live with it for a long time (20+ years) and die of something else. He said we could just ignore it, but he'd recommend going to the hematologist, and I thought that was a good idea--that's Wed. So keep me in your prayers.

1day--I got my tapes from Centerpointe--www.centerpointe.com. They were a bit pricey, but they do have a money-back guarantee, and actually they give you a book and a bunch of extra tapes, so it doesn't come out too bad. They will also send you a free sample, so you can see if you like it.

Mooz--what a lovely thought to go walking in Ireland. Of course, it is different for you, but obviously you appreciate it as well. I had to laugh, incidentally, at an ad I saw. It was for some quite lovely jewelry with a Celtic design--that wasn't the problem. It said something like, "From Ireland, the land that never changes." As tho your island were somehow not part of the real, changing world!

Night all.

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Hello everyone...!

OK, what did I miss, where is everyone?

I am doing well, but am still not at OP as I was prior holiday season. One just has to wonder, and appreciate those of us who do practice dilligence and persistence. I purchased Rocky a 20 foot training lead, so that should provide us both an opportunity for some serious walking and much needed exercise.

I have Dr. Phil's show taped from today, and believe I'll get ready for bed and watch before I sleep. I listened to the introduction and he said his folks have now lost over 700 pounds. Neat, huh?

I found a neat website for those of you wanting to watch your sugar and/or carbohydrate intake. Take a look at http://www.shakeoffthesugar.net/

CAT: I do hope you are feeling better, and do know you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Nita, Mooz, Thin, OneDay, Michellez, ChaCha...anyone else and everyone else I do hope this finds each of you doing the very best!!

Good Morning Everyone,

Hopefully everyone is thinking positive today! That is what it takes to get in control of our eating.

HalGal -- Nice graphic. I had my first weigh-in last Thurs and lost 1.8 lbs. I have to admit I did not keep track of my points but the one thing I did was not weigh myself until I came home from WW. I truly believe that has been my downfall these last few months. The only problem is I am not sure if I am losing or gaining this last week. I am still doing the treadmill and last night I stayed on for 40 minutes. One important thing I have noticed is that I am sleeping much better and not having indigestion at night. I also have a lot more energy. I did watch Dr. Phil last evening and the person who was most motivating to me was the young boy who was doing the program at home with his parents. You could just see the sparkle in his eyes for having lost 30 lbs. and only having 30 more pounds to go.

The weather in Phoenix was 90 degrees yesterday and is going to be 92 today. I sure hope this doesn't last too long because I was really enjoying those cool mornings.

Okay everyone, I know you are all busy with other things going on in your life, but how about at least posting a quick post to let us know you are still participating. Together we can do this, I have no doubt in my mind!

Take care all,
Anita

Hi, everyone. I am truly feeling fine. Tomorrow the new dr. tho.

Nita--remember, the important thing is that you're getting healthier. WTGG!!

Hal--Funny story about women's day. When I was working with refugees, they wanted to have Women's Day as they did back in Bosnia. Some of the men were kidding/grumbling about being excluded, and two of them dressed up in dresses, make-up etc. and "crashed" the party. It was hilarious!

Night all.

Mornin' from Las Vegas~~
It is just gorgeous here this morn. A bit of a breeze but sunny and we won't be getting as hot as Phoenix area. I think only in the 80's here. ~~NITA~~I did see where you guys were up into the 90's for a few days! Hope that quits soon. It would be hard to just jump into that after all the cool and WET weather we've had there! I have certainly been walking alot, BUT the bad news is the buffets and food here! I guess i knew it would be bad, but just didn't remember how bad i'd be! LOL

We are doing the older part of the strip tonite..called Freemont Experience. It is a four or five block long area where starting at dusk they have this sound and laser show that you can watch for free. Music from Disco era to old rock etc. Should be a blast. Plus we have this certificate to eat at this rather nice restaurant.

We toured red rock canyon 2 days ago. We hiked to a waterfalls, and i think i pulled a muscle in my leg, but i was able to walk the strip last night, and then i soaked in a hot tub last night...so i think i'll make another busy day here today. Wish i had the software for my camera so i could show you guys some pictures, but that will have to wait.

Thanks for the encouraging words all of you, and i will be back on track when we get home to Mesa. I won't wait till i get back to Michigan like last year! Well, i just plain never did get back on track last year!

Wishing you good test results today ~~CATLOVER~~keeping you in my prayers. I'm sure if you've been living w/this chronic lukemia and not even treating it, now with treatment you will start feeling better soon! Sending GET WELL WISHES :angel: :angel: and a couple angels too!

Good to hear from you ~~HALGAL~~ glad Rocky will be getting more room to "run" but still be on a lead. YGG~

News from ~~MICHELLEZ~~ viz email. She and her husband are closing on a gorgeous house. And it's on 1/2 acre so her doggies will sure be happy. I'm sure she will get back on here with us once she settles in. We all miss her alot.

I may not post again till Sun or so. When i get back "home". I sure do have alot of homes lately! :lol:

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hi there chickies - just a quick call - I have been busy this week as there is an Art Exhibition in a local Craft Shop and I was getting 3 pictures ready to enter into it. It opens on Friday night. There are no prizes but maybe something will sell!! :D :D :D
I got the following in an e-mail today so I thought I would share it with you - my wonderful girlfriends ...............



I sat under an oak tree in Montreal on a summer day, drinking iced tea and visiting with my mother.



"Don't forget your girlfriends," Mother advised, clinking the ice cubes in her glass. No matter how much you love your husband, you are still going to need girlfriends. Remember to go places with them now and then; and do things with them, even when you don't necessarily want to. And remember that

Women supporting and relating to other women is our responsibility and our gift.

"What a funny piece of advice," I thought. "Hadn't I just gotten married? Hadn't I just joined the couple-world? I was now a married woman, for goodness sake, not some young girl who needed friends!" But I listened to my Mom.

I kept in contact with my girlfriends and even found some new ones along the way. As the years tumbled by, one after another, I gradually came to understand that Mom really knew what she was talking about!

Here is what I know:

Girlfriends bring casseroles and scrub your bathroom when you need help.

Girlfriends keep your children and your secrets.

Girlfriends give advice when you ask, sometimes you take it and sometimes you don't.

Girlfriends don't always tell you you're right, but they usually tell the truth.

Girlfriends still love you, even when they disagree with your choices.
Girlfriends laugh with you and don't need canned jokes to start the laughter.

Girlfriends pull you out of jams.

Girlfriends don't keep a calendar of who hosted the other's last big party.

Girlfriends will celebrate for your son or daughter when they get married or have a baby, in whichever order that happens.

Girlfriends are there for you in an instant, and when the hard times come, girlfriends listen when you lose a job or a friend.

Girlfriends listen when your children break your heart.

Girlfriends listen when your parents' minds and bodies fail.

My daughters, sisters, family, and friends bless my life! When we began this adventure, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead.

Nor did we know how much we would need each other.....

Pass this on to your girlfriends/sisters/daughters... I just did!

Read the next 2 lines very slowly and let it
sink in...

If God brings you to it,
He will bring you through it

Just want to reassure everyone--honestly, I am feeling fine.

I had a cough, and the dr. did a blood test, which quite accidentally discovered the blood problem. I am over the cough, and have absolutely no symptoms from the leukemia (if that is what it is--another blood test tomorrow).

Saw the oncologist today,and liked him a lot. He said I probably will not need treatment for another 5 years.

Catlover,

I am so happy to hear your oncologist said you probably will not need treatment for another 5 years, and I am happy to see you have an "excellent" doctor who is having you take another blood test. I will be thinking about you!

HalGal,

Just a short note to let you know I ordered the book you talked about "Passing for Thin"? I had an offer from Double Day Book Club and it was on there. Thanks for sharing!

Thinking about all of you--I am going for my 2nd weigh-in at 6:00--about an hour to go! And believe it or not I have not gotten on the scale!

Take care,
Anita

Hi gang!
Hope everyone is well. I am hanging in there. The last several weeks
have been good. But I can feel my self slipping.
Nita.... good for you for not peeking at the scale :goodscale
(I see we got some new smilies).
Catlover....some good wishes for you and your dr appt's :angel: :angel:
Thin....how nice to be in Vegas. I was supposed to be going on Sunday,
but that all fell through. Enjoy! When will you be heading North again?
Hal....I taped the Dr Phil show also. I still haven't had a chance to watch it.
I will catch up this weekend. Glad your computer is back up and running!
1day....My cruise will be going to Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel and New Orleans. Can't wait! I REALLY need a vacation. And for the last couple weeks
I was doing Dr Phil's Rapid Start plan. The best part is that it really did rid me
of any sweet/bad carb cravings.

Well gang...Hope you all have a Wonderful Weekend. :wave: :grouphug:

Hello Ladies,

Just a quick check in to say i'm still here. Things have been very busy at work, and I had been out of the office for some training. I will definitely check in this weekend and catch up with everyone.

Good Evening from Phoenix

Well my weigh in didn't go well yesterday. I gained .2 and it really is more like .8 because I wore shorts instead of jeans as I did the week before. However, I am not going to give up. I just read an e-mail from my daughter in Ohio and she lost another 3 lbs. yesterday, making her total 20.4. I am so very proud of her and I need to do this so I don't let her down.

I experimented with dinner tonight and I thought I would share it. I sauteed onion, celery, yellow pepper, mushrooms, shredded cabbage and a little eggplant until it was cooked quite well. I then added cut-up chicken breasts I had grilled the other day. My last ingredient was chicken gravy that came in two of those packages. I cooked it in the microwave and then added it to my veggies and chicken. I then put this over whole wheat pasta. My DH thought it was quite tasty and it sure wasn't too high in points either.

I also have another good idea for breakfast. When I eat my high fiber cereal with fruit and 1/2 cup of skim milk I am using 3 to 3-1/2 points. So this morning I took the low cal bread which gives you two slices for 1 point and I toasted it. I then took 1/4 cup of regular cottage cheese (1 pt.) and added some cinnamon to it and a little sweet and low. I covered both slices of toast with this and put it under the broiler for about 3 minutes. This is a recipe WW gave us in the early 70's and called it a cheese danish. Try it, you might like it!

If any of you ladies have tried anything you really enjoy, please share it.

Wishing all of you ladies a very enjoyable weekend!

Anita

http://www.imgag.com/product/full/ap/3055591/graphic1.jpg
I hope this finds everyone enjoying the b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l weekend! I'll send more later, I am running late this Saturday AM.

Good idea, Nita. I remember making those "Danishes" years ago as well.

I actually lost a pound or a bit more--if the oncologist's scale is the same as me regular dr's!

Hello Ladies,

Well tomorrow i'm am starting back on the South Beach Diet. I had been doing somewhat ok, not gaining, but no losing either and this last week I have really just blow it. Then on friday I heard that a co-worker who was laid off last March died of a heart attack. I guess I was so sad I just ate & ate.... then I realized what are you doing? So i'm going to give it my best effort & start South Beach & start on some exercise habit.

Nita - don't get discouraged. Remember our weight goes up & down, The thing to remember if your following the program the numbers will come down. That is great about your daugher. They are getting me motivated...

Hope everyone is having a great evening...

Mornin' Chicks~~Trying to get back into a good exercise mode now that our trip to Vegas is over. The downer was the whole thing was planned for my mom & dad to go with us(they've never been there) and then it turned out they couldn't and it was too late to cancel or "bank" our week at that condo. We knew we could still go and see alot that we missed last year, due to the wedding being in Vegas. (DH's sister had gotten married there). And we did see alot more, still couldn't see all we wanted but we will put that off till my mom and dad get their surgeries and get more healthy. My dad needs at least one knee replaced(maybe both!) and my mom needs to see about her rotator cuff and possibly having surgery on that. Always something with our health isn't it?

So now that i'm back here and the weather is quite hot in Mesa i've told DH that we have to do our 1.5 mile walk EARLY. So i am awake and trying to get going right now(it's 6:45 here--my laundry is going at the laundromat at our resort and i'm checking in here before we go).

Tho we did walk in Vegas to see things, we only did our morning walk the first day...then we started skipping it. So we are going to have to get back to our routine again.

~~~1day~~ YGG..you can get started again on your plan. We are here to help you get motivated. DH and I are also trying to eat better. We skipped this party last night because of the pizza and other goodies there. We really needed to just eat light for a change. So we took his mom's car and washed it and cleaned it inside for letting us use it to go to Vegas. It looks good now. Then we ate salad for supper. We were pretty good so that's a start. Let us know how you are doing today. We are rooting for ya!!


~~NITA~~~Don't get discouraged about those numbers. You know how as we age we just don't lose fast like the younger ones. But good for your daughter(s) for doing so well. I love to hear about the ones who can show the big losses. And if they could only stay on their plan so they don't have to go thru this later in life. Re-losing the same darn pounds! I told them to leave me for good, but it didn't work (again!).

Keep posting everyone and if there are good WW or SBD recipes you've tried, please post em.

Talk more to you all later!

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,
So far so good... I just know the headache (sugar withdrawls) is going to be coming later one. I am trying to really get pumped and stay with this. When I tried SB last fall it really did help stop the cravings so I know it works, it's just the getting started. But i'm all prepared... I went grocery shopping & bought all the things I needed. Of course drinking the water is the hard part too.
Tonight I plan on getting on the treadmill and walking at least 1 mile... my goal is 1.5, but I don't want to push it..

Thin - Sorry your parents were'nt able to make it Vegas. Hopefully next year he will be physically ready. I'm sure you got plenty of walking in in Vegas. What is the weather like in MESA? It's still kinda of cool here. You know just doing things like washing the car & cleaning it out is burning calories, I need to do that. I just need to get moving.

Hope everyone is having a great day

Hi chickies ........... just a quick call ............ I seem to have so little time to get to the computer these days. This is a short week for me as we are off on Wednesday - Saint Patricks Day. Actually there is very little celebrating done here. It is a bigger day in America than here!! The pubs will have a good day with people drowning their shamrocks!! :D
Gotta go do some tidying up ............ I think I need to get some lessons from FlyLady!!
Just posting a picture of the daffodils in our garden ................

A quick note--I am taking a few days off from exercising as my foot has been hurting so much I want to try to see if a rest will help it. I actually sat down and read a good book and did some serious cat petting.

The book was a murder mystery about an early Irish woman lawyer/advocate. They're great fun.

Mooz--I had heard that many people in Ireland celebrate St. Patrick's day as a holy day and go to church. Or was that a long time ago? Anyway, I knew it was a much bigger holiday here, which makes a certain amount of sense. After all, you don't need to run around and proclaim yourself Irish if you're on the ould sod.

I am tired--better head for bed.

Happy St Paddy's Day to all you wonderful chickies!!

http://img.123greetings.com/thumbs/gen_luck/1012-004-61-1059.gif

Hello Ladies,

Just a quick post. Things are very busy at work, one of my coworkers is on vacation this week, so i'm having to cover two desk. It's makes the day go by so fast but at the same time, you can't seem to get anything done cause the phone keeps ringing.

We'll I didn't make it though my first day on South Beach Diet, but today is a new day and i'm trying again.


Hope everyone is having a great ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Hi Patty,

Way to go Patty. I know you will get back on program very soon. Tonight is my weigh-in at WW. For lunch today I had two hard-boiled eggs, a tangelo and 7 chocolate cat cookies which count as 1 pt and are low in fat. I did also have a diet coke. I will let you know the results. I was taking some Omega 3 supplements and I stopped taking them a week ago because I thought perhaps it had some bearing on my not losing weight as I have done before on WW.

Take care Patty and don't give up!!
Anita

Quote:"I was taking some Omega 3 supplements and I stopped taking them a week ago because I thought perhaps it had some bearing on my not losing weight as I have done before on WW. "

WOW, I take these supplements, I wasn't aware that they could slow down loss? this is very interesting, is it because they're "fatty" acids? I have so much to learn!

http://www.imgag.com/product/full/ap/3002942/graphic1.gif

Guess what? Well... our school system reformatted our email system, and as of now I can get to this site there! Now... I am not saying I really have time to read and/or correspond there, but it thrills me to know if I have a moment I can log on and get some positive reinforcement.

It has been a strange week at school. Last week 9 students were piled into an SUV that crashed into a tree killing one, and seriously injuring many. One of them is in my first hour class - the students have been torn up. Early today I received word a former student had committed suicide late yesterday or early today. He was living in Florida with his mother - and oddly I said hello to him via a cell telephone conversation just yesterday afternoon he was having with one of my students he was very close to. She had no idea this was coming, it was completely out of left field.

So as I said, strange, sad week. One more day.

Hello Chicks~~
Been very busy with company visiting. DH's sister just left this aft. for home. She drove our truck down and got to sight-see for about 3 1/2 days. Fly back and get home by midnite tonite. Busy week. She saw alot and this was the first time she saw her mom's new house.

It is still pretty hot here. i'm sure it got well into the 90's again. We did not get our walk in this morn, but we took his sister to the big "marketplace" AKA flea market!, and she bought some gifts for people back home. So i think we walked alot from 7:30 till about 11. But of course that is not a good fast pace like normal exercise walking, but i guess it counts a bit! Now to get back to reality.

~~Halgal~~ sorry to hear about all the sad things happening to students you know. That must be very hard. Sending :angel: :angel: 's to you.

NIce that right now you can read the 3fc boards at work...maybe they will leave it alone for awhile. At least you can read and catch up if not post.
Yes,Friday tomorrow. Rest up and give Rocky a big hug from me!

SIL really missed her dog while she was here. He is a mix that she got from the humane society. Simon is his name. He has come a long way from when she took him in. He is a silly dog, but now is coming into his own.

Talk to you all soon...
:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,

Nita - thanks for the encourating words. I'm still not quite on SBD, but everyday i'm trying. It just seems like all these obstacles come up (mainly stress from work) & I need to learn to get passed them without turning to food as a comfort. Still working on that one, but the good thing is I know that it's happening. What I would really like to do is buy a small refrigerator & keep in my office that way I could fill it with the things I need.

Hal - So sorry to hear about the kids death & then the about the former student. I know that is really hard for the students, hopefully you all had plenty of counselors on hand.

Thin - That is great that you all were able to take you SIL around town. Our temp is suppose to be in the 80's today, and then back in the 60's tomorrow.

We'll like I said still trying to get back on SBD, I'm going to clean house today, maybe take in a movie & just relax.........(wish I could have some ice cream but I gave that up for lent)....

Hope everyone is having a great day...

Good evening, all

Hal--that is so sad about the deaths.

1day--I think SBD is very good, but it sounds as tho it's not working for you this time. Maybe you should try something different.

I didn't get to WI this week, but I think I am doing OK. I feel less desire to stuff myself at night--don't know if it's the yoga or the meditation. But I need to weigh in to stay honest.

Good night, all.

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Good Sunday Morning Everyone!

I hope this finds everyone enjoying the 2nd day of Spring. Yesterday our temperatures hit 72 degrees. Today we will only make it to the lower 40's and the lows will be in the 20's tonight. I do recall snow in April here in Kentucky, but it is rare.

I went to a wedding yesterday for a teacher friend I met taking classes with last year. She teaches in my county and married another teacher from her building. We are still in classes together so I got to hear all about the planning step by step, and it was absolutely beautiful. She had a chocolate fountain at the reception, along with a sit down dinner. The 'white' chocolate fountain was toooo good. I only went for one serving but trust me I watched and watched and talked and talked to myself. I had a large wooden screwer with pineapple, banana, and a strawberry, a pretzel and a biscotti (1/2) all dipped in the wonder confection. The dinner was a baked to perfection chicken breast, steamed veggies and brown rice (she has been listening to me about whole grains!) Anyway... it was stunning. They will teach this week, take care of loose ends and leave on their honeymoon cruise next weekend.

I see Dr. Phil's finale of the weight loss group will be on television tomorrow. I thought he said the was a year long group? I honestly would have prefered he kept it that way. A few are close to getting to their goals, and as we all know maintaining the loss is more of a battle most often than the actual loss. Anyway... I'll be taping this show for sure.

Mooz: How was you art show? Did anyone purchase your paintings? If you have some time, you should post a few pics of our new work for us. I always enjoy seeing them.

Nita: How did your weigh in go? I honestly do not believe taking the omega supplements will effect your weight loss - unless you are taking many more than the daily recommended dose. The research on these fatty acids is solid on heart and cardic health. It is difficult to get the needed amounts without over eating calories. I take them, just based upon the reseach. The food guide pyramid will be revised next year, and the rough draft copy had a daily multiple vitamin supplement on it! Did you revceive or read 'Passing For Thin'. I really enjoyed the article in Oprah's magazine on this girl. I saw her on The Today Show and was less impressed - but I don't think she has make up artists or coaches assisting her on speaking. The article went right through my heart - I can empathize so very much. Too much.

Thin: Rocky loves, loves, loves his 20 foot walking/training lead. I am not sure who is training who, but the walking is great for each of us. He wakes up in the moring ready to rumble... I can only wish. He is the best. Good to hear your enjoying the warmer weather and your family.

CatLover: What good book did you read? My bookclub just finished 'The Two Faces of Islam'. I don't know who recommended this book, but it was not enjoyable. I read the first part and sold my copy to another member who agrees it was awful. It is a history is Islamic policies and such. Strange names that mean nothing in the ever chaning world of the middle east. Not impressed. I am ready for a 'good' book. I'm heading into Sams this afternoon and they offer good books at great prices.

OneDay: Good idea on purchasing a small refrigerator for your office space. You will find you will save $$$$ and it will be easier to stay OP. You will not regret this. Do you know, last year our superintendent announced all teachers must remove their refrigerators from their classrooms due to electrical expenses? Yup. No one did - he did not push it. We get 25 minutes for lunch. My day begins at 7:30A with side door duty. I teach 4 different classes - back to back and my FIRST break of the day is at 12:45P for a whopping 25 minutes. I then teach one more class and have a 50 minute planning period. Many times I have to wait until 2:30 (plan) to eat because students stay in my room for assistance during lunch (almost daily). I try to eat sometimes while they are there, but I am a slow eater, and 25 minutes flies by when you are helping students and trying to eat too. Wild, huh? Anyway... since I am a Family and Consumer Science teacher I do have the benefit of refrigerators in my food lab and can bring foods in that are ready to each. It is a nice convenience. How is your foot?

Hello to anyone I have missed! Good to hear Michellez may return to us!

:flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2:

Good Afternoon chickies. I am just home from work and as the sun is shining I should be going for a walk but I never seem to have the motivation on the days I am working. I will hopefully get tonight with a friend.
Yesterday was Mother's Day and I indulged in some beautiful home made chocolates and enjoyed every bit of them! ;) I have still not lost anymore weight :( maybe my body wants to stay where it is ...... 5 foot 6 inches and weighing 158 pounds! I would like to be about 140 pounds but then maybe that would be too much to hope for. Maybe if I was 140 I would look gaunt! Anyway I will try and keep up the healthy eating after Lent is over as I feel so much better for not eating all the sweet foods.
Better go do some tidying up ............





10 Steps to a Healthy Body

Susan Burke and the eDiets Team

Can you really become healthier in just 10 steps? Yes, you CAN! These 10 tips will help you boost your vitality , look better, lose weight and feel great!

1. Strive to reach a healthy weight. A healthy weight is not one magic number that suits everyone. Your healthy weight will be within a range and depends on your height and your body type. Being at a healthy weight means that you will be at a much lower risk of diseases associated with obesity such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

2. Make time for activity - every day. The best predictor of permanent weight loss (and longevity) is exercise... so Get Moving! You don’t need to plough up and down the pool, run for miles every day, or even join a gym - you just need to get moving for at least 20 minutes each day. Take a walk at lunch time or after your evening meal. Put on the radio and dance around your kitchen or join in the games with your children! It all counts as long as your heart rate is raised and you’re slightly out of breath when you’re finished.

3. Choose foods that are high in fibre. When you have a choice in the matter, choose high-fibre foods. Choose a piece of whole fruit over juice, choose wholegrain bread instead of white and choose high-fibre breakfast cereal instead of refined, sugary cereal. High-fibre foods are bulkier and fill you up better, for longer. They also take longer to digest and cause a slower, more gradual rise in blood sugar than refined foods. It’s the rapid increase in blood sugars (a sugar ‘high’) and the following ‘lows’ that make us crave more sweet foods. So break that cycle and make high-fibre a habit...it'll pay off in BIG ways!

4. Choose healthier fats. You do need a certain amount of fat in your diet everyday. Providing fat-soluble vitamins, the manufacture of hormones and proper nerve functioning are just a few of the many functions of fat in the body. But you don’t need to eat doughnuts all day to get your daily fat requirements! Fat contains more than double the calories of protein and carbohydrates, so choose wisely and well - not all fat is equal! Unsaturated fats are ‘good’ fats that are beneficial to the body but diets higher in saturated fat and trans fat (hydrogenated oils found in margarine, biscuits, cakes and fried fast food, among others) are associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. So avoid fried foods, especially fast food or restaurant-fried foods (these are often even higher in trans fats then the homemade version) and cut down on foods which have hydrogenated oil as one of the first ingredients on its label. Instead, get your fat from sunflower and vegetable oil, oily fish, nuts and seeds.

5. Balance your diet. Never exclude any one nutrient in favour of another. All foods fit into a healthy diet . It’s the portion size and preparation method that count. Variety is the spice of life! Don’t eat the same foods every day, day in, day out. Try different fruits and vegetables. Make each week a new opportunity to taste a fruit that you’ve never tried before, or one that you haven’t had in a long time. Our supermarkets now offer a huge variety of different and exotic fruits and vegetables. Try a star fruit, a persimmon or a mango; some of these fruits are powerful packages of nutrition.

6. Eat LOTS of fruit and veg! Fruit and vegetables are the number one food when it comes to nutrition. Filling, low in calories, next to no fat, and packed with vitamins, fibre and anti-oxidants, make that 5-a-day a minimum, not a maximum!

7. Choose refreshing drinks, not liquid sugar! Fizzy and bottled drinks often contain large amounts of sugar – one can of Coca-cola contains around 7 teaspoons of sugar! Can you image having a cup of coffee and adding 7 spoonfuls of sugar to it? Remember: sugar comes in many disguises. Brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, molasses, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, sucrose, fructose, levulose, dextrose, maltose, lactose, dextrin, invert sugar, mammitol, sorbitol and xylitol... They are all sugar and all provide nothing but calories.

8. Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Choose ‘no-added salt’ versions of foods such as tinned foods and breakfast cereals. Use herbs and spices instead of salt in your cooking and try not to reach automatically for the salt on the table.

9. If you drink alcohol, be sensible. Alcohol provides 7 calories per gram (carbs and protein provide 4 cals per gram, fat provides 9 cals per gram). Up to 2 drinks per day can have health benefits but exceed this and you can be setting yourself up for trouble with lots of extra calories, weakened willpower and increased risk of illness.

10. Prepare to succeed! When you’re trying to change behaviour, the best advice is to have all the ammunition you need to make change as easy as possible. Make the most of the nutrition and fitness advice we have to offer, spring clean the contents as well as the cupboards and know your goals. Go on, you can do it!!

Mornin' Chicks~~
Still going to be in the high 90's here in the valleyl. Wow, this has been hard to adapt to. And after so many hot days in a row, it doesn't cool off much in this metal box we live in! so it's hard to get a good nights sleep. :dunno: then you feel more sluggish each day. I am really looking forward to Tues thru the weekend when it is supposed to cool slowly into the 80s and maybe only 78 by Sat. I leave the cold temps and then i complain when it's too hot! :lol: I am not happy too often i guess! We went to see Starksy and Hutch in the cool air conditioned theater yesterday. :corn: Silly spoofy movie, but DH and i both enjoy that stuff. Good music from the 70s too, and those cool cars they had in it. Plus i just LOVE that Owen Wilson :dizzy: Him and his crooked nose.

~~~MOOZ~~Thanks for the 10 healthy steps. i do believe we might have to stick with the weight our body stays at. And just keep eating healthier and moving more. If it comes down futher then it is meant to be. I know i cannot do the hard workouts as my knees will act up, so just knowing i can walk and swim and try to burn off extra by parking further away and those little things they always suggest we do. You sound so busy and for your height, you might be in a good weight area. I still HAVE to get down at least 15# for only being 5' 2" tall. And it is not happening with the food around here. Esp. when we go to things with his mom. They really overdo the food when they have these 'cul-de-sac' parties for every reason. Mostly for birthdays, but they also have them when they have a community yard sale! And other silly reasons.

Yesterday we ate very healthy i think. We had our bigger meal early in the day. I took out some chicken breast and seasoned them slightly and just a touch of bread crumbs on top of the olive oil. I bought this real neat fry pan at the community sale. I've always wanted one like this...it has those ridges to make the "grill marks" on food. And it also keeps it above the fats too. Anyhoo, i put the chicken on and got that most of the way done. Added a bunch of fresh asparagus spears, and stir fried it for a bit. Then found a cover to steam it and added a few chopped almonds. Also microwaved one sweet potato that DH & I shared. VERY TASTY and nearly perfect Atkins food. Those few bread crumbs would be the only carb in there. Then we only had (movie) popcorn for our supper. So all in all i guess it evened out.

Well, now that i got everyone hungry :hun: We'd better all focus on moving more today!!

~~HALGAL~~good to hear from you this weekend. Your temps in Kentucky right now sound PERFECT~ hope you are getting out and enjoying it as much as you (and Rocky!) can. Keep on walking that doggy. He must be very happy when you can take him outside. Esp. with spring springing!

That wedding sounded awesome. They keep the chocolate melted then? for the fountain thing? i've never seen that so i'm not sure what it was like. Wow, what some touches she had planned into her day.

Now all of our family is done visiting. Only one daughter of DH;s step dad is coming in today(to the MIL's). We have met her once before, so it will be nice to see her after so much time--and try to actually get to 'know' her. I don't think she was at MIL's wedding, but we met her sometime after that.

Well chicks, i will end here and get moving on things like getting my walk done!

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

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Happy Goof Off Day Everyone!

I just took a peek and found this hysterical. Today (according to whom I have NO idea) is National Goof Off Day. That is exactly what I am doing today. I call it a mental health day. I called my traditional sub last week and planned this day in advance. After the week I had with all the saddness and attempting to comfort my students - time for me. I don't think I mentioned but the young lady that was so close to the young man that committed suicide remained in my classroom 90% of the day Friday crying and occassionally sleeping. She would go to her classes, sit there and cry and ask to come to my room - and was dismissed to my room. Trust me, I am very, very, very happy that she felt comfortable with me -but by day's end I was emotionally whipped. It is so difficult to watch young people suffer and experience life's pain. I did call into our counseling department both the Thursday prior to this (anticipating when/if she returned to school she could use psychological assistance) I called the office a second time Friday morning and got no response until the last hour of Friday - and only after several other teachers had called the counselor that day. Who knows, you just really have to park infront of some folks to get attention.

Now... I did not make it to Sam's yesterday so I believe I'll go later today. I am catching up on laundry and house cleaning that working 11 hours a day, 5 days a week do not allow for.

Thin: Yes, you are correct, our weather is really, really nice. I am enjoying it. Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the fresh blooms on all of the spring flowers. Love daffodils.

Mooz: Art show, how did it go? Thanks for the dieting tips. I always appreciate all the input you offer to this thread.

Don't forget to watch the Dr. Phil finale weight loss show today !

Happy Goof Off Day. Years ago, I would have never - how things change! :devil:

:flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2:

Hi HalGal,
I don't believe this is the end of the Weight Loss Challenge--I believe it is going to feature four people maybe not from his group who took his challenge at home. I could be wrong. I do believe, however, the original group is going to be one year long. We'll see tonight. I did lost 2.8 lbs. this past Thursday and all of a sudden I believe I am back on track. I was taking 1,000 mg. of Omega 3 and perhaps after I get this weight off I will start it again. I did, however, add Vit. E to my program. You sound like such a "wonderful" teacher to have tried to help the girl who was so very sad and emotional about her loss. You most definitely deserve the Goof Off Day!

I have to agree with THIN it is way too hot in Phoenix, and it is supposed to be spring. I had to have my treadmill repaired because I evidently used it too much. It is fixed and I am back to working out even with the heat. I injured my left arm cutting a small piece of grass with a push mower, but I am still going to try and bowl today. I happen to bowl left-handed. As we get older something is always happening.

Take care ladies and I will post again soon!

Anita

Mornin Ladies~~ Just a quick post to say HI and bump us up to the first page again!

Still supposed to be hot here and GRADUALLY go down to the 80's and then finally back to the 70's. That will be nice.

We have to have our taxes done today. I was worried we couldn't get in with it getting close to April now. It will be nice once it's all submitted ...haven't a clue if we get anything back, as this is the first year w/some wages and some pension. Next year it will be all pension i guess. Maybe i can learn how to do it myself then. I always used to, but we only filed short form for many many years.

WAY TO GO NITA~~ 2.8# is wonderful numbers to lose! YGG :dance: And to wear out some parts on your treadmill...you must really be using it, just like DR. Phil says to do. Proud of you!
I did get to watch his show last night, and see how good the 4 did in 'booty camp'. Excellent results! I hope they can keep the new life changes as they say they will. I really do feel a bunch of 'mini' meals would work better for me, but so far i just cannot seem to make the changes happen. And i think it would be good for DH too.

~~HALGAL~~I also agree...you deserve goof off day. Hope you got to feeling alot better from taking that day off. All our teachers should get them! It is most times a thankless job, but i appreciate all of them who can do such good jobs w/kids! YGG

Got to go now, will try to check in later on...:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Good evening chickies - just a very quick call. I have just come back from the Craft Shop that is running the Art Exhibition and one of my paintings has sold. It is just a quick one that I did on stretched canvas with no frame. I did not have a high price on it - £30 - but I am over the moon that one of my paintings has sold.
It is a beautiful evening here so I hope to get walking soon.

Way to go MOOZ~~ nice to know that you are making some sales for your paintings. YGG~~~:dance:
I like the avatar of yourself too--very cool~

:wave: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,
Just a quick hello... Things are busy here again this week and unfortunately I have not been bringing my lunch, so i've been eating out quite a bit...

I will post later this evening..

Goodness, where is everyone?

Maybe we need a new home to get us motivated.

Patty--I know it's hard to make good choices eating out. Can you try to bring your lunch certain days?

WI Thur.

Hi Catlover,

I agree with you we need to get our folks motivated. I, myself, am sort of at a plateau again and this does get frustrating. I may even have a slight gain at tomorrow's weigh-in. I have been doing the treadmill at least 30 minutes since Sunday even though it's been quite hot here in Phoenix. I do have a couple of things to look forward to--one being going to a concert where Clay Aiken will perform and it will be the day after my birthday--April Fool's Day. After I sign off here I am going to write an e-mail to the Arena to see how I can get on a list to meet this young man. I have to go all by myself to the Concert but I think it will be worth it.

Take care,
Anita

Nita--WTG on the treadmill.

OK, everyone, lets do some brain-storming on some challenges. Ideas?

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Hey There Everyone...!!

Challenges... exercise would be a good one for us. Spring weather is returning and we can get outside to walk more. Also remaining OP would be a good one. Or, even posting frequently? Not 'pe-can' on anyone... just am surprised at our thread! Let's post, keep communicating.

:dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer:

Hi chicks~~ just a quick post as it's STILL extremely hot for me here. It must be over 90 again..just when do they predict the cool down??? Anyhoo, i did good for 2 mornings now i've gotten up early and did the treadmill in the workout room. 1 mile each time, and in under 20 minutes. And do i sweat doing the treadmill 1 mile v.s. walking 1 mile. so i know it's gotta be a much better workout for me. I had the incline up to 7 at times and the pace about 3.5 mph alot of the time. Said i burned about 160 calories today while doing that mile. Hope so!! Also did some free wts. the day before. Now my triceps are a bit sore today, so i will wait a day to do them again. But that is one of my worst things is the "under-arm-dingle-dangle" !! :lol:

Got 3 new long sleeved tops(2 are pullover and 1 is a hooded zip ) from Sears today for the price of one basically. All 3 only came to 18$. I was thrilled. I knew 2 of them were down to $5.00 apiece...but the other one (the hooded zip jacket) when it rang up took off more! So i was VERY happy.I have about worn out my velour zip up workout jacket that i bought in Mesa last year. So I really needed a new hooded one. The other 2 are some type of fleece that blocks alot of wind too, so i think i'll get alot of use on the motorcycle and such. I know i don't need them right now, but soon enough the weather will be cool in the mornings. And back home you never know when it can be downright COLD!! :) :( ????????

Was at Sears in the first place so DH could price prescription glasses there, but in the end we bought them at the Costco Warehouse. Best prices around it seems.

I am challenging you all to do some different exercise as i have begun doing. They say if we keep doing the same workout our bodies won't get the benefits like it did in the begining of the program...so you can all try to come up w/a new one for you~!
Let us know what you are trying.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick post to let you all know I worked today and then came home and did the treadmill for almost 30 minutes. Tonight is weigh in and I will let you know how I did tomorrow.

Thin -- I have never gotten my treadmill up to 3.5--the highest I have gone is 3.4 and for only a short period of time. Also I usually go to about 3 on the incline. When I am at the gym I do the weight loss program and that does take you to a 9 incline at some time in the program. I am very proud of you--keep up the good work.

Halgal -- I received my books yesterday and I will check out Passing for Thin. I also got the book by Gorge who has an eight minute workout. I will let you know if I learn anything new.

Talk to you all soon!
Anita

Hi, Chicks--

WI at my dr and verified the lb it said I lost on the other dr's scale--and maybe a bit more.

More exercise and new sounds good. I will think about this. Of course, I'm kind of stuck with walking as I have to walk the dog, but maybe I can get some swimming in too as the weather gets warmer.

Good afternoon chickies - sorry I have not post lately but I seem to have so much to do and I had to cut down the computer time. Eating those Mother's Day chocolates was maybe not such a good idea as I found it easier to give in to a some cake and a chocolate sweet at work on Tuesday. I was thinking how easily I could slip into bad old habits but if I do I will only put on the little nit of weight that I have lost. So I will have to be more careful and say not to all the junk food. This is the only way for me to do it. I am not starving as I eat plenty of healthy foods.
I walked 4 miles yesterday and went linedancing for 3 hours last night.
Today is 'tidy up house' day so I guess I should get back to it.
I got the following in an e-mail today and thought it was worth passing on to all you wonderful ladies.


WOMAN

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"
And the Lord answered, "Have you seen the spec sheet on her?

She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable,

run on diet coke and leftovers,

have a lap that can hold four children at one time,

have a kiss that can cure anything from scraped knee to a broken heart and have two pairs of hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Two pairs of hands! No way! And that's just on the standard model?

That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."

"But I can't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.

She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.
The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one."
"That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear for?" the angel asked.
The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride."

The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything!

Woman is truly amazing." And she is!......

Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss can help to heal a broken heart.
Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning!
They bring joy and hope.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give.

HOWEVER,
IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.
PLEASE pass this along to all your women friends and relatives to
remind them just how amazing they are.

Mornin' Chicks~~ it cooled down to 60 degrees overnight. Great sleeping weather. Of course it made me sleep in just a little later. But i think today i will walk outside w/DH. As he has been skipping on the days i did the treadmill!! :bad boy

Am going to the ranch market to get good fruit and veggies today. Need to fill up 4 gallons of water too. Very different in Arizona on the water. The tap water would not get a person drinking their quota that's for sure! Didn't eat the best choices yesterday. Well, just the french fries at Fridays were bad. And then we ate pretty light at our evening meal.

We almost had a sale on the motorhome last night and then we ended up eating very late. But i think if the wife works on the husband they might still come back and buy it. He figured we should sell if for just what he has to offer. But i could not see coming down that much right now. Maybe later of course! :(

got to go now. Hi to all the chicks! I will really try to post more later.
:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Good Morning Ladies,

Thin is correct--it did cool off during the night, however, it is going to be 88 today and is supposed to get cooler over the weekend. The mornings are sure terrific and I am not looking forward to our summer weather of over 100. Oh well, everything can't be perfect.

Well I lost another pound yesterday making a total of 5-1/2 lbs. in four weeks. It still is not easy and I still have to get back to journaling because the ladies that lose the most that is what they do.

Thin -- Don't forget a week from Saturday is the wedding in Mesa. My DH isn't going with me so perhaps we could meet somewhere near the restaurant and at least say "hello" to each other. It is the Landmark Restaurant at 809 West Main Street, Mesa. Is that very far from where you are? The wedding is at 4:30 and I thought perhaps I could get there an hour or so earlier. Let me know. Do you ever come to downtown Phoenix. I am down there every Thursday at 2nd and Roosevelt.

I hurt my bowling arm but I am going to attempt to bowl today because it is our monthly luncheon. I hurt it about two weeks ago while cutting a small patch of grass with a hand lawnmower. I must have pulled a muscle.

May you all have a "super" weekend and enjoy!

Anita

Hello Ladies,

Cat - On the SBD, it's not that the diet doesn't work for me, it's I'm not letting it work. No diet will work when your eating candy bars for afternoon snack, or going out to eat everyday for lunch. My problem is I need to really plan my meals and have my snacks at work. I know I can do it, it just making that decision to do it. I can bring my lunch everyday, it's just planning.. I have got to plan.

Nita - I'm sure the concert is going to be great. Is this at the new center you were talking about a few weeks ago. I hope you get to meet Clay. Let us know. I hope you & Thin get to meet.

Thin - You are doing great on your exercise. I have a treadmill here in my living room, just sitting there. Hope the motorhome sale comes though.

Mooz - For some reason I was thinking your mother's day was the same as ours... I guess not... Happy Belated Mother's Day..

Ok ladies, I know you heard this before... but today I took the day off and cleaned my house of carbs...no more sabatoging myself. Tomorrow Saturday March 27, I am going to start SBD again... and if for some reason I fail... then i'm going to just get back on track...What I seem to do now, is when I eat something off the program, I think to myself... oh we'll i blew it, then I proceed to really blow it... I need to start thinking, if I blew it then... uh, oh...But get back on track.. you made a mistake, but get just back on track. Also i'm going to start walking on the treadmill, or walk with my friends, or something...I have so many vidoes, it's unbelievable, there's no excuse for not exercising.
Today I went and got a hi-lites on my hair, and while I was there got a massage..Oh, felt so good... and i'm thinking if i'm being good to myself with the hair and massage, then why am I not being good about my health... So tomorrow March 27th is my day...

Nita--hope you are being careful with your arm--don't push it and get a real injury.

Patty--wtg on cleaning the house. Right about being good to yourself/ourselves.

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It's the weekend, and the beginning of a week off for Spring break!

What a last few weeks, I mentioned the accident with 9 students, the former student that committed suicide - add to that the parent of a homeroom student (I've had for 3 years now.) committed suicide Thursday afternnon. A very, very, very strange last few weeks. The memorial services for the student were yesterday. The visitation and funeral for the parent are tomorrow and Monday.

Thin: OK, I am impressed. It has been awhile since I've had a treadmill to use, but I know 3.5 is fast, and your incline is awesome. Congratulations on doing all you can. I know I can get back to that level of working out, and I look forward to enjoying the positive feelings that come with it!

Mooz: Our Mother's Day is May 9th here. Happiest of Mother's day to you! How did your art show go?

OneDay: WTG... you can do it girl. WE can do it. AS I slip on my old pair of jeans that use to be loose on me. One just has to wonder how/why we allow this to happen to us. Be good to you. Me too.

Nita; I do hope you get to meet Thin - way cool! AS you know, I am curious about the Passing For Thin book. Does she have a website listed anywhere in the book?

I am guessing you guys determned HalKetchum'sGal is me too? I did not have my password at school and just set up a new account. Anyway... happy weekend, and may everyone enjoy mostly OP days/moments.

:dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer: :flow1: :flow2: :dancer:

Hal--what a terrible week! Sending :angel: :angel: :angel:

My dryer broke down, no biggie. But I couldn't make up for the time I had to spend at the laundramat because it was my weekend to spend time with DMiL. Incidentally, I was delighted to see that she can get around much better, walkingwith her walker, getting up.

Did I mention that I got an offer from a publisher that had published some of my poems in a magazine to do a chapbook? (That's a small fold-over book). So I was flattered and sent them some poems I'd put together.

Did pretty well with my walking, but I think none of the home remedies I've tried are working and I need to get back to the podiatrist. When my foot hurts, I look for excuses not to walk.

Good night to all--
Catlover :yawn:

Mornin' Chicks~~
Been a crazed weekend. Did not do my exercise in the mornings, so now i can't get motivated today to do some. I walked alot yesterday at a big boat/outdoors show near Scottsdale. There is a marina and lake there that draws plenty of boaters. Was a good day for being by the water as the sun was very hot. Today i have to get things organized so that this guy who wants our motorhome can take it for a drive. Hard to do when you've been "living" in it. Got to go thru alot of stuff and make sure it is put somewhere where it won't go flying on a curve in the road! :lol: So i'd best get started on that.

~~CAT~~hope you get an appt for your foot problem. One cannot get into a program if they have pain. And what is it about foot pain? Once they hurt everything else seems to hurt too! Hope he can help you soon.

~~NITA~~i'm going to try to call you from a phone at the resort today. As i don't believe it would be long distance from here so then we can use their phones. I'm sure we can find that addy in downtown Mesa w/no problem. But we still avoid Phoenix proper. It is nutty enough driving in Mesa and some of the other outlying cities. I'm looking forward to meeting you also.:)

Hi to the rest of the chicks~~ stay strong and wish you all a great Monday.
:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hi Thin,

You are correct any calls from Mesa to Phoenix are not long distance. I believe I said the wedding was at 4:30 so perhaps we could meet there about 3:30. If that works for you--I'll be sure to be there. It would be so great to meet you after all this time of conversing over the internet. My DH definitely will not be with me. He is just having too hard a time getting around.

Catlover -- What seems to be wrong with your foot. Several years ago I did have a bunion and had it removed surgically. It took a long time after that to get it well. Now I wear tennis shoes with inserts to keep the weight off of the ball of my foot. It was the best investment I have made. I can go walking for hours at a time and never have a problem. Right now though I am having the arm problem and had to give up bowling for at least a week. I sure do miss going bowling but I am sure I will get back into the swing of things very soon.

Best wishes to all of you--have a "super" week!

Anita

Hello Ladies,

On saturday I started back on SBD and i'm happy to say that i'm still on program. Saturday night I started to get cranky... I think it was the sugar withdrawls. I was hungary & kept eating the foods that i'm allowed but it wasn't what I wanted... I wanted SUGAR....I also walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes on saturday & this morning woke up at 5:15 am to walk on the treadmill. I am also reading Dr Phil's book. Of course i'm on chaper 1 & want to skip to like Chapter 5 or 6, but his book says don't skip chapters to be patient, so I am...

Hal - I'm sorry to hear about all the deaths that are happening around you. Saying a prayer for you and your school..

Cat - I hope you get some help for your foot soon. I know when my feet hurt, I don't want to do anything. That is awesome about about your poems. You are so talented with your storytelling, & poems...

Nita - I hope you arm gets to feeling better. Hopefully taking a week off will help.

Thin - Hope the mobilehome gets sold. Are you all planning on buying another one? I know you have the truck up there to get back home. I know it's hard to get back on that treadmill, but believe me you feel much better once you get back on it...

Mooz - Hope your having a great day!

Mitchellez - Hope you join us soon... Miss hearing from you...

Chacha, LittleChick, - miss you guys too...

Hi Chicks :wave:
How is everyone doing this Monday? I have been doing very well with
Dr Phil's Rapid Weight Loss. I feel so much better when I am eating well.
Don't know how much I lost because I really don't want to get on the scale
yet. I need to just be happy cause my clothes are looser and I feel soo
much better without the food cravings (sweet, salty, you name it).
My exercising has been going well too. I seem to be more tired lately and
have a sleep study scheduled next month.
One day....good for you for getting back on SBD. It's so easy to fall off, yet
so hard to get back on.....why is that?
Thin....how long until you start heading back north again? The weather is starting to get nicer (except it might snow tonite :rolleyes: ).
Halgal....are you off all week? Enjoy some time with Rocky....hope you have nice weather.
Nita....Make sure you take care of that arm. Give it time to heal.

Well gang, hope you all have a great evening....
:flow2: :grouphug:

Good evening chickies - Just a quick call in before bedtime. I am just in from a Country Market meeting. It was about local people settiing up a market to sell their crafts and produce once a fortnight. I have signed up for it to try and sell some paintings.
Eating is going well although I think I am eating too much even though it is all good food!! I am not losing any weight so I need to cut down a bit on something. No exercise today but I hope to get walking tomorrow evening sometime.

Chacha - it is amazing the difference eating well makes us feel. When I think of the number of times I have felt bad in the past because I ate too much junk food :( :( :( You are doing great!

Patty - Good luck with SBD - sugar withdrawal symptons are not a great feeling but keep it up and it will get easier and it will be worth it in the end.

Nita and Thin - we wamt a picture of you two when you meet up ........... this is so exciting .............. we want a picture .... we want a picture ....we want a picture .................

Catlover - that is great news about your poems ........... well done!

Halgal - what sad times for you and your school ........... sending some :angel: :angel: :angel: your way.
The Art show went well - I sold one painting which I am very excited about.

To anyone I have missed - have a great day.

1day--wtg on the diet.

Nita--yes--better to give your arm a rest. To you and those who asked--I have a heel spur. Had the one on the other foot removed, and I'd be set to go with this one, but the dr. wants to see if conservative treatment works. I had the chiro adjust it today, and that seemed to help. Also I got padded sox and am working on some exercises from my yoga teacher to keep the foot flexible.

Mooz--that's great about the opportunity to sell the paintings. They are so lovely. Now pat yourself on the back for eating healthy foods and then go to the next step . . .

I have been thinking about a challenge--I am thinking of trying to get in 5 servings of veggies and 4 of fruit (I think that's right) as the DASH diet says. I think something positive like that might be just what I need at this time.

Cha-cha--good to hear from you and also that you're feeling well.

Better get to bed.

Greetings to anyone I missed.

Catlover

Hi chicks~~ just a quick note to let you know i will be away from my computer for a few days. Have this trip to Tucson planned. We spend 2 nites there, and i will get to see my high school classmate that i've not seen for many years. It will be great to get together with her. I am going to try to stay strong on my choices for foods when i'm there. Today we ran around so much and didn't even eat right. More or less skipped lunch cause there was no choice in the matter. We sold the motorhome to a couple who is in no rush to 'take it' just yet. So we can live in it till we find something else or just plain pack up the truck and motorcycle and head north!
Can't go home just yet tho...waiting for more snow to melt by us.

Talk to you all in a few days. Stay strong! And good luck w/the challenge for the fruit and vegetable totals. YGG's :) :wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Catlover - I am going to the Chiroractor today to see if he can do anything for my arm. I haven't been bowling but I sure do want to get back to it soon. I am still walking on the treadmill so perhaps that will make up for it.

If anyone watched Dr. Phil last evening he had all these teenagers on who have done an excellent job on losing weight. It was truly impressive, especially the young man who lost 102 lbs. all on his own. We ladies can do this as well--we just have to keep motivated. I just started reading Jorge Cruise's book yesterday and he sounds like he is on the right track. Supposedly you only have to do 8 minutes of exercise per day to get results. I haven't checked out his menus yet but I will keep you informed when I do.

Well I had better get moving. My appointment at the Chiro's office is at 10:30 this morning.

Take care,
Anita

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Good Tuesday morning everyone!

Even though it is pouring rain, and cold - I am so appreciative of some time to myself - it is incredible. I've slept and watched movies for 2 days, and now I am ready to take care of a few odds and ends. I plan to travel to northern Indiana toward the end of the week and spend some time with my Mother (in a nursing home 30 years this year), meet one of her high school buddies (she and her husband are 80!) and meet up with an old college guy pal that recently moved home from Houston. He is a geologist, and is back in school working toward a second career. I've remained 99% OP - and it feels good. Rocky is a big part of my success as he loves to walk - and I am hoping soon I will share his love. I've indulged in a few super cheap, brand new jog suits from EBay. Super cheap - $9.99 plus shipping - awesome! This week I have one hanging up with a matching shirt and shoes so I am motivated to take him for a walk rather than let him out in the back yard. He loves the attention. Oh, did anyone catch The Today Show yesterday? They featured a website www.caloriescount.com I just checked it out, and yes it looks nice, but it cost $$$$$$. $45 a year. I read a very good article at this site comparing the most popular diets today. The girl that used this site to lose weight did not use the word diet, but lifestyle change.

Nita: Good luck at the Chiroprator. I was just talking about how I believe they are good alternatives therapies with a good friend last night. I've never been, but know many folks that enjoy the benefits. Also, I hope you and Thin get to meet (***pictures***), and enjoy the wedding. Did I mention there was a live, flowing, warm chocolate fountain at the wedding I attended a few weekends ago? Yum, yum, yum.... I watched part of Dr. Phil, and I agree these young people embraced his suggestions and took them to heart. As we must - for us.

Thin: I love hearing about your adventures...always. Wow, I cannot believe you have sold your motor home that quickly. From what I have heard from you I know you took the very best of care of it, and I bet it was in great shape. I heard a news report this morning that parts of Kentucky can expect some April snow the end of the week. I am holding out for driving days with no rain to northern Indiana. I don't enjoy driving in rain at all. I can do it, but if I have a choice. I was thinking of leaving today - but it looks like the better weather is holding out for the end of the week. That works for me as I have a paper due for class, bills to pay, and a dirty house to clean before I leave. Such is life... I agree more fruits and veggies for all of us would be a really good move. How about if we can, if we each post a veggie recipe? I received an email recipe chain letter - chain letter on the internet.


CatLover: Birkenstock shoes. Yes... I have bone spurs on both heels. My doctor showed them to me, and they are scary looking. I began wearing Birks a few years ago, and I never feel them, and I can stand on my feet - carrying all this weight - with no pain, and my feet in general do not hurt as they use to standing all day. I bet I now have 10 pairs, all colors and styles. The most inexpensive place to purchase them is QVC. You can purchase on line or via the television show - they were actually on yesterday. Go on line and take a look. I do have walking shoes, and a few pairs of German made BORN shoes, but love, love, love my Birks. Unfortunately so does Rocky! I have a pair I use as house shoes, and they are showing signs of Rockys puppy chewing...!

Mooz: When you get a chance, send us some pictures of your paintings! Congratulations on selling your painting! I knew you would do well! OK, I must ask - how long is a fortnight. Oh, no more smoking in the pubs of Ireland.... how refreshing. I bet the controversy is big there as having a pint there is so popular - or is it? We hear over hear about having a pint with a friend so routinely - I even have pint glasses for when I have freinds over for cookouts on the deck. Frequently they ask where I found the glasses.

ChaCha: Thanks for reminding me. I have so many things and do not make note of how lucky I am and forget to follow through. I will read Dr. Phil's book this week also. I am also on chapter one, but will plan to finsih it this week. I also have the paperback food tracker book. I believe fruits and veggies are key. They just had a guy on the Today show making salads. Tis the season.


OneDay: WTG with SouthBeach. I understand sugar withdrawl. I also know how good you feel, for longer periods of time without it. Hang in there... I am right there with you. There is a chocolate candy sold in northern Indiana I now will be calling my name, packing into my Jeep, and singing high prasies when I travel this week. They are called BUN candy bars - basically chocolate covered peanuts with a creamy center (either vanilla, maple or something else - cannot remember). Anyway... How dedicated am I? It shoudl be interesting. I have not had one in years - last time I went home I did not have one! Ha, ha!


Nita: I hope your husband is feeling better soon. I cannot wait to hear how your visit goes with Thin. I have an old college boyfriend with parents living in Scottsdale now. They retired there about 10 years ago.

Everyone sounds great, how about some fruit and/or veggies recipes to share this week? Have a great OP week!!!

:dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer:

Good Afternoon Ladies,

I'm still OP and feeling good... my problem now is drinking the water. I'm not thirty at all...This morning I overslept so I did not get to workout, but I am going to today. I'm thinking of taping the Oprah show or even Dr. Phil's and then watch when I get home.

Hal - Sounds like you are really enjoying your spring break. I am also reading dr. Phil's book, think I stayed up to late last night reading it, that's why I overslept this morning. Hope you enjoy your trip and speaking of that candy bar... is that a surgar free one?

Mooz - I think the market would be a great place to show off your crafts and painting. Hope it work out.

Nita - I hope the chiro will be able to help you. I have never gone, but have several friends who go. Looking forward to hearing about Thins and your visit

Chacha - good to hear from you. Glad to hear everything is going great with you. Are you reading Dr's Phil's book too, or just doing the Dr Phil's rapid weight loss? Is this something you just do for a week or two?

Thin - Sounds like you have a fun filled weekend coming up. It's hard to watch what you eat when your on the go, but just make the best choice you can. Let us know about your trip... Have fun, be safe.

Cat - Heel spurs? that does sound painful. Hope your able to get it taken care of soon. Maybe the shoes that Hal mentioned would help.

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Well I just came back from the Chiropractor's office a couple of hours ago and I am really impressed at how much of the pain is gone in my arm. The doctor who worked on me is very young but evidently knows what he is doing. He worked on my arm for probably 20 minutes and then he worked on the muscle in my back. He also adjusted my hip area because he could see it was out of alignment. He also did some neck adjustments and boy that was really a loud noise but I have to admit I feel as loose as a goose. He then used an ultrasound machine on my arm. All this was done at no charge because I had saved a coupon I had gotten in the mail several weeks ago. They did find out my insurance covers their services with a referral from my PC. However, I need to go in to see her before she will give me the referral. It's really all about them getting paid for not doing any work except to talk to you. I sure hope she approves of my continued treatment or I will just pay for it on my own. It really is great to get rid of a lot of pain in such a short time. He also suggested I do two treatments of 20 min. hot; 20 min. cold and then 20 min. hot again. I really connected with this young man and I just have faith that he knows what he is doing.

He also advised me to make sure I do some stretching before I get on the treadmill. He found the muscles in my legs to be very tight.

Okay ladies I like HalGal's idea of each of us posting a vegetable recipe. The veggies and fruit are very important to our lifestyle change. I find that if I saute eggplant; celery; onion; zuccini; mushrooms until they are soft--you can use this as a base for putting in a tortilla by adding some salsa to it or even adding lean hamburger and making spagetti sauce. If you haven't tried the whole wheat pasta--it is really wonderful and much more healthy than regular pasta.

Well I had better go I need to color my hair and get ready for my concert on Friday. By the way on April 1st I will be 69 years old! I can hardly believe all these years have gone by so fas!

Take care ladies and remember "You are worth it!" So don't give up and love yourself because you are "very" special!
Anita

Quick hello... bumping us to the top...

Good Morning Chickies - Thursday and I am finished work for another week YIPEEEEEEEEEE!
I am just about to go for a walk so this will be short. It is sunny at the moment but I think it is supposed to rain later. Eating is good and I am walking most days. Weight is still the same though :( but hopefully I can lose a bit more soon.

Cat - good luck with the fruit and veggie challenge - sounds like a good one!

Thin - that was lucky - selling the motorhome to a couple who are in no rush to use it. Enjoy your trip.

Nita - I am glad the pain has eased for you. Pain is no fun!!

Patty - great that you are OP .......... now go get that water girl!!

Halgal - Strange how the English language is so different depending on where we live! A fortnight is 2 weeks. The word is (according to the dictionary) Old English meaning fourteen nights.
OK you asked for it so I have posted some more paintings on Webshots and they are in the Album called 'More Paintings'

The addy is
http://community.webshots.com/user/mooz49

Hope all you other chickies get to post soon.

Have a great day all

Hello Ladies,

I'm still OP, and still trying to get that water in. Yesterday evening I throat starting hurting me...I'm hoping it just allergies. So last night I took some tyneol and pretty much just laid around, wasn't even hungary for dinner, so I had some FF jello. Today I had eggs for breakfast & I'm not really hungary for lunch.

Mooz - We're due for some rain this weekend too. Way to go on getting your walking in. I will see if I can access your site from here.

Hope everyone is having a great day...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NITA... WISHING YOU A GREAT DAY...

Nita--glad the chiro helped. They can be great.

Patty--hope you are feeling better.

I took a mental health day today. Finally everyone agreed that the problem at work was not me, but the stupid computer. The tech guy tried to fix it, and made it worse. I went to two other computers,and one was somewhat better.

Didn't sleep well last night (the dr. had said I should see how I did without the Nexium for my stomach, but guess I need it.) Could not face the computer and the callers on not a full night sleep. Had a wonderful day today--like playing hooky! And it is beautiful here.

Love to all--

Catlover

Happy birthday NITA~~~ hope you are feeling good and had a wonderful day today.

talk more later~ trip was great.

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

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Hey Everyone...!!!

I hope everyone had an uneventful April Fool's Day. I did... nothing terribly exciting. My computer upgrade is complete with the exception of the installation of the cable modem. It appears the cable connection to my home is not grounded. This is 'evidently' a new code requirement for the cable folks, and I have to call an electriction to run a cable wire to the electric source to my home and then they will install the internet cable. One has to wonder?

I am OP diet wise, but slacking ***as usual*** on exercise.

I decided not to take the road trip to northern Indiana. By the time I made hotel reservations, estimated gas and food for 4 days and realized the sticker shock - I opted to stay home, finish the 2 papers for my university class, and spend some money on things I really need like a fresh carpet clean, possibly a few plants for the deck. I cannot afford both - sad, but true. I do believe a few folks are 'miffed' at me, but hey...

Mooz: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the pics of your pics. I love them, and most especially the Emerald Lake and Sunset. What a talent you are! And, thanks for the fortnight explanation.

CatLover: Nothing better than a mental health day. You go girl...!!!

Nita: Happy Birthday to YOU...! Happy Birthday to YOU!!! Happy BIRTHDAY, Dear Nita...! Happy Birthday to you!!!!
Just be very glad you could not hear me singing...! ;)

OneDay: I hear you on the water... It is difficult. I purchased a case of 20 ounce bottles to encourage my attempt to drink only 3 of them a day. It is still hard to do.

Veggie recipes... hummm... Did anyone catch Martha Stewart today? Can you tell I am enjoying my time off? She made a really good looking spaghetti squash. It fits into the low carb category. She boiled it for 30 to 40 minutes and placed a glass bowl on top of it while boiling to keep it under water. After it cooled she cut it in half and shredded the spaghetti and placed it on a plate. Then she drizzled fresh ground pepper, salt and olive oil and topped it with fresh ricotta and parmesian cheese. Yummmmmmm......!!!! Yes girls this is a veggie recipe...! Martha had a funny, funny April Fools joke on today, did anyone catch it? I do believe she is working on lightening up her image... and doing nice job of it.

More soon...!!!!

:dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer: :flow2: :flow1: :dancer:

Just had to let you Chicks know--my chapbook of poems did get accepted!!

I am so pleased!

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Wow, wow, wow Cat, tell us more about your poem deal!!! Maybe you could share one of your favorites with us? Warning, warning, warning... I seem to remember another one of 'us' that was preparing to publish a book of poems and suddenly disappeared. Don't even think about it girl.

Veggie recipes girls? 5 A Day...!!!

:coffee: :cb: :cp: :coffee: :cb: :cp: :coffee: :cb: :cp: :coffee: :cb: :cp: :coffee:

Happy Birthday Nita :gift: :balloons: :cheer: :hb:

Congratulations Cat!
:high: :queen: :cheer: :cheers:

YAY CATLOVER~~~
YGG~~ Congrats on getting your poems published!!
:dance: :wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Congratulations Cat on getting your poems published.

We'll yesterday I went off OP... I went walking at lunch instead of eating & thought when I got back I would eat, we'll I had two phone calls waiting on me that I had to get some work out and just didn't have time to eat then. Anyway on the way home I stopped and got Fried fish (lent) and ate that with tartar sauce. The one good thing though was I was so hungary I wanted fries & hushpuppies, but I passed on that. Today i'm back on OP though.

Thin & Nita - Hope you all are getting to meet today.

Nita - Tell us about the concert? Did you get a change to meet Clay?

Hal - Hope you are enjoying your time off. I'm sure Rocky is loving that you are home all day.

Mooz - Hope your having a great day!

Chacha & Mitchellez - Hope to hear from you all soon.

Thanks to everyone for the congratulations! Will include a poem or two some time next week. I know these things sometimes fall through, but the editor seems quite efficient--wants to get me a proof by the 19th.

Incidentally, I replaced my printer with a 4-function (print, fax, copy, scan). It was a good buy, even though I thought I'd never use all those functions. Well, I already have copied the pictures I'd envisioned for the chap book (one of me (as as baby) and my mother; another of me and my daughter (as a baby). I hope he likes them. He's already accepted a rather flattering portrait of me that Earl did for the back of the book

I made an appt. with the podiatrist--but in spite of the foot pain, I did my full half-hour walk.

I printed out the guide for the DASH diet, and my goal is at least 4 servings of veggies, 4 of fruit a day. I think I have been kidding myself on how much fruit and veggies I eat. Like if I have yogurt with fruit in it, I bet that's not even a quarter of a serving. I think I will buy some plain yogurt and mix it with fruit--cheaper, too, I bet. Same way with veggies--that garnish in a sandwich don't really make it. :p

I went back to work on Fri., and the stupid computer still wasn't working. Since they worked on it, it is messing up in different ways each time. I asked my supervisor if I couldn't just move to another computer (which they had me do temporarily), and she said no, they had to fix this one because otherwise when the new class (not hired yet) gets on the computers someone will have to work on the broken one.

So the comfort and efficiency of a hypothetical new hire is more important than getting me out of a terribly stressful and frustrating situation?

Do any of you chicks have a suggestion for handling this tactfully? :dunno: :thanks: (I hadn't checked the smilies lately. There are some cute new ones, though I'm not sure what I would use "kick the can" for.

Hal, sorry you had to miss the trip, but we have to make these choices sometime (all the time? ;) ) That Martha Stewart recipe sounds great. I'll get a spaghetti squash at the store tomorrow. I might microwave it, tho.

1day--good for at least skipping the fries. It's so easy to say "well, I have messed up, so I'll go all the way."

Better do my yoga. All you chicks have a fine day!!

Hello
Quick post to let you guys know that NITA and i did meet today! YAY !! was very nice to see her in person. The 45 minutes or so that we had to talk just flew by. DH was there to take pictures that you all want. But it certainly shows the poundage i've gained back, so i'm not too keen on even seeing them , much less posting them. I will have to let that be up to NITA who also had a digital camera. Since i don't have my software here, my pics would have to wait till i get home. So she will probably post one of us at the restaurant where the wedding was held. Looked like it would be a fun time. I hope you had fun NITA~~

till later!
thinlizzie
aka Lyn:wave: :grouphug:

Hi all,

Just quick reply to let you know the concert was awesome. Clay performed for almost an hour and his voice was superb! However, I didn't get to meet him but I did have field glasses and was able to see him up very close and that was exciting to me.

As you already know Thin and I did get to meet and it was exciting to meet someone whom I have been conversing with over the internet for over a year. We happen to be about the same height which made us feel comfortable! If my pictures came out I will post one later.

The wedding went very well and I really enjoyed seeing my deceased cousin's two boys. They are 12 and 14 and were dressed in tucks. I will post a picture of them as well.

I need to get some chores done but I promise to post a little later in the day!

Take care and have a "super" Sunday!

Anita

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Happy Spring Forward Day All...!

OK, this would actually qualify as my least favorite day. As you know I always have more to do than I have the time to complete it. Dr. Phil mentions we should all take a good multivitamin with 100% of each of the required vitamins and 200% of the B vitamins. He adds, he also recomends a daily dose of the antioxidant vitamins!

Nita/Thin: Can't wait to see your pictures. I have my scanner working now that my computer has been updated. LOOK out.

Have a GREAT and OP Sunday chickies...!!!

:coach: :sunny: :goodvibes :coach: :sunny: :goodvibes :coach: :sunny: :goodvibes

Nita, Thin--looking forward to the pictures. So glad you met!!

Here is my veggie recipe--so simple, but good.

Spray a pan with a little oil or no-stick spray. Put in a bunch of lettuce, and stir fry. Add sesame seeds, a little vinegar or lemon juice, and a dusting of parmesan cheese.

I have a good start on my fruit and veggie goal (One day! :lol: ), but it does seem to crowd out a lot of junk food.

Hal--I know how you feel. I have something EVERY night this week.

One note on the multi-vites--regular ascorbic acid can be--ahem--a bladder irritant. If anyone has this problem or if it seems to bother their stomach, look for calcium ascorbate.

Love to all--
Catlover

I'm not sure this is going to work but I will try and post two pictures. One of Thin and myself and one of my two young boys.

I see the boys came out quite well. I will try and make the other picture a little larger to see if it will come out better.

Anita

:coffee: Good Mornin' Chicks~~ It is 7 am here in the valley and the sunrise looks pretty nice. I hope the rains are finally past the area.
We saw Late Night Chatechism II performed last night at the Scottsdale Auditorium. Was soooo funny. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. One lady plays the nun and alot of what she does is just impromptu w/the audience. Someone got caught chewing gum and one had their cell phone on and the kids called mom! The nun got on the phone to work out the kids troubles. Pretty funny stuff. Tickets were pretty pricey, but once i've seen it i don't mind the price anymore. It was just so much fun. She actually made some good Bush/Ashford jokes/comments and she is ready to be rid of them both in office~ In fact she'll go do some time in purgatory for what she said but she stands by it. She says it would be worth it~~ :devil: :lol:

As my picture shows i need to do ALOT better on getting these pounds off. I was finally getting better about seeing my pictures when i had gotten down to 127, but now that i'm up 20# it is very upsetting. Why do we let these things happen?? I cannot ever seem to find a "FOR LIFE" way of behaving.

Here is my contribution to the good veggie recipes:
Oriental Salad
(cold and good in place of reg. coleslaw)
Napa cabbage, cut into bite size pieces
1 carton fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can water chestunts rinse,drain and diced
1 bag of the "Hapi" snacks party mix(chinese crackers--also found in our ranch market store and the little bags are in Safeway)
1/3 bottle of Safeway Select Premium Collection Sesame Ginger vinegarette
Toss the vineg. over the rest up to one hour ahead of serving.

~~CAT~~sorry work is so frustrating. I can't think of a way to get them to change their minds on the computer problem. That is just terrible when they won't work their programs properly. A person just goes crazy when these things happen. Can't they try to bring in another computer guru to try to fix it?

Well, i will get off now and check in later. I wasn't getting notified of the posts again for a few days. Must be when my cookies clear out or something. Tues is a Diamond backs baseball game. We go on a bus w/a bunch of people from his mom;s village. Should be fun, tho i am not a huge baseball fan, i think just doing it once should be good.

All for now~~ :wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Just a quick note--I have something every night this week--I am a busy Cat. Poetry tonight.

They have brought in an other computer guru, and he still can't fix the blessed thing. However, they are letting me work at another computer--not great, because it doesn't have my settings, and my cubicle doesn't have my reminders and sticky notes, but it's better. I also went and talked to HR, and she said she would try to get things worked out.

Back to work!

Good Morning chickies - just a quick call before work on this miserable wet morning!
Thin and Nita - great picture - it's wonderful that you finally got to meet.
It has been so wet these past few days that I have not been for a walk and I really miss it. Hopefully the weather will pick up soon.
Have a great day all


Anne

Maybe tomorrow or Thursday I will start a new thread, if I have time, or if any of you feel like doing it ........... Thin ........ Halgal ........... ar anyone for a change - feel free. Maybe a change would do us all good!!

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Good Tuesday afternoon everyone!

Mooz: Good to hear from you.... I think we all feel the same way... blah, blah, blah... huh? I have enjoyed the veggie recipes this week. Got any good Irish veggie recipes to send this way? How is your Mother doing?

Thin: Thanks for the veggie recipe... always appreciated. Reading the Dr. Phil book he pretty much says WE decide when/if we are going to be good to ourselves. I think someone said here the first book is not so necessary... I have to disagree. He really has much thought and input on the whys of successful weight maintenance. He also has one of those stupid sayings in no less than every other paragraph. No wonder he makes the big bucks!!!

Nita: The pictures were great, thank you! How is your husband doing? I like Clay Atkin, I think he may have a future in the recording industy - I like his smile - strange but true!

CatLover: Send us a poem...! :dizzy: Just remember the squeeky wheel gets the grease when it comes to working on the faulty computer.

OneDay: My meeting after school today was moved up into my plan period during the day. I will be going home soon! Oh yeah.... When do you get out of school? And, what do you eat on the teacher 25 minute lunches? I usually do a low carb bread sandwich, a smoothie, or a frozen meal. Nothing elaborate or big... no time!!!

Hey does anyone talk to TAZ our old low carb person? I am curious to see if she is keeping her weight off. She was SOOOO motivational. Oh wellllll.....

http://www.kraftfoods.com/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&recipe_id=60120&e=email

Just a quick note since I may not get in tonight.

Am enjoying the more fruits and veggies goal.

Hello All~~ I have been extremely busy as we think we have found a trailer to move into in the valley. It is considered a travel trailer, but it has been skirted and in the same park for years now. It even has a regular toilet and real refrigerator. Not like other travel trailers at all. I don't know if some of those things were renovated by original owner since it does not need to go on the road anymore or what...but i do appreciate them. We can move in there on the 24th or 25th. Then we have to get ahold of the lovely couple who is letting us live in here and let them know that we can give them their home on wheels now. This trailer is in a park where storage sheds are allowed and this one has an older wooden one there, so we can leave some stuff this year that don't have to go back and forth. I think i will leave my pedal bike now, as i won't be using it at 'home' ....since home will be at the lake and it's all gravel and clay out there. No blacktop for quite a distance. I can walk up our huge steep hill each day for an awesome workout. Lets say i hope i can start on that goal anyway! it might be a task for awhile, getting to the top, but eventually my lungs will be able to do it. If you could see it you'd understand. Sometime i'll post a pic of it!

The baseball game was kind of fun. the people watching anyway. i'm not really into baseball. But now i can say i did see one professional game in my life. We wanted to see how to get to that arena should a good concert be held there sometime, but DH did not like the traffic in Phoenix and says he still does not think he'd drive there. And i certainly am too chicken to do so! Country girl that i am!!

No i have not kept in touch w/TAZ since long ago when she posted. I don't know what became of her. Wish she would see our group and post sometime. Maybe Mooz would be the only one w/her email addy? Could try to send her a greeting from all of us if she does.

Got to go now. I will try to post more soon.

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Hellooooo~~~ anyone out there? Everyone must be pretty busy out there. Hope you are all burning off as many calories as possible. I think i'm going to go and swim for exercise as my chores are done and there are hardly any residents left at our resort, last time i went by the pool, no one was in there! And it's a gorgeous day out there today.

I wanted to report in on my good shopping for today. The ranch market. Got such deals, those red bell peppers were 3 / $1.00 again! Whoopee~~ love them. Between DH & I we almost ate one already. Had healthy chicken sandwiches with green leaf lettuce and the bites of red pepper for lunch. Going to either do fish or chicken on the grill tonite w/salad. Maybe a small potatoe for us too..just can't give them up.

I bought red bell peppers (3), leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, bananas, nat. peanut butter, raisin bread made w/whole wheat, broccoli, 3 cartons of strawberries(i think that is all) and it only came to $9.00. LOVE THAT PLACE~~ :) :dance:

Hope there are a few of you able to post later today! I'll check back.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hello chickies - I thought I would get a chance to start a new thread today but I was feeling a bit under the weather with some sort of bug. I am still not feling great but hopefully after a good nights sleep I will be fine. I sent an e-mail to Taz saying that some of you were asking after her but have not had any reply yet. I seem to remember sending an e-mail before and not getting an answer to it.
Anyway gotta go to bed.

I am sorry I haven't sent any posts but for some reason I am not getting the e-mails alerting me that someone has posted.

I'll write more after my WW meeting.

Take care,
Anita

Mooz--hope you're feeling better.

This--WTG on the veggies.

Lo-carb folks--did you all read the results of the study of the first page? I'm sure there were other studies with different results, but they didn't find v. good results for the lo-carb dieters.

Here is one of my poems. I like it because it's the only love poem I've ever done.

If you would like more, PM more, and I'll send some PM as it is OT.

Changeling: to My Husband

My parents sadly sought
the child the Faery Folk had stolen,
leaving behind their discard,
the oddling,
me.

Mother often glanced at me
in vague disappointment., but
my father screamed
at the usurper

Who can imagine then,
who can believe the wonder—
all history turned upside-down--
in your arms
I belonged.

Hello Ladies,
It was such a busy week at work, I don't think I posted once. I think for two of the days I had gone out for a walk durning lunch, & I can only post at work during my lunch break. If you all can say a prayer for me my job is up in the air again. Something is going to happen we just don't know when.

Mooz - I hope you get to feeling better.

Thin - i'm glad you all found a trailer. I just love all the veggies that are coming up. I love eating cucumbers.. I'm glad you enjoyed the game. I just love baseball, in fact today was our opening day, but since it's Good Friday, I thought I should skip this years.

Hal - I'm not the teacher. I think that was either LittleChick or Chacha. I am a buyer. I buy parts for our power plants. But in answer to your question, I think the key for me is to be prepared with my lunch, have something I can microwave quick, have the veggies peeled (cucumbers in italian dressing)..

Cat - hope they get your computer fixed soon.

Nita - How did you do at Ww?

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

Everyone taking Easter off?

Hope everyone has a fine one.

http://di.imgag.com/imgag/product/full/ap/3055849/graphic1.jpg
Live Your Best Life

The time will come
when with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door; in your own mirror,
and each will smile at the other's welcome.

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters fromthe bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

-Derek Walcott
from Collected Poems 1948 - 1984

Happy Easter Everyone~~
Just a quick post to wish you all a peaceful Easter Sunday. Going to a 7 a.m. mass that is held outdoors. Just bring a lawn chair and enjoy~ I'm not Catholic, but my DH and his mom and stepdad are so i go with them.

I practiced to get up early today also, since Goodwill had a 1/2 off everything in the store starting at 7 am today. Got a few nice drinking glasses for the trailer( right now everything i have is plastic since you have to live and travel in motorhomes--also found out they don't hold up--they crack after not very long.~~at least the ones i've bought~ so whether you break them or they just break/crack on their own i guess i'll try glass again.) If i only knew what sized curtains i would need in my soon to be new home, perhaps i could have found them today too. I did get a comfortor and a mattress pad tho. Oh, and one more folding lawn chair, this is one of those padded seat and back type. Very comfy.

I have my sweet potato salad all ready for todays brunch here at the resort and i can kick back and sip on some coffee till it's time to go over there. I ate strawberries and 1/2 a banana to get me thru till brunch time.

~~CATLOVER~~forgot to say thanks for sharing your poem with us the other day. I really enjoyed it. I bet your DH loved it when you wrote it especially about him n you--that is just very neat.

~~HALGAL~~ thanks for the great easter pic and poem. That is true, we must remember to enjoy our lives feast. Thanks for sharing it.

~~1DAY~~ i will say a prayer for your job to stay secure for you. Glad you got the walks done at work during your break, that shows you are caring for yourself. YGG~~ keep up the good works.

~~NITA~~how was ww?

Talk to the rest of you soon.

:wave: :grouphug: thinlizzie

Hi Everyone,

WW went pretty well--I lost another 1/4 of a pound but the good news is that I have already lost another pound since Thursday's weigh-in. Since we don't have any relatives here in town, we will just stay home so it will be easy to stay on program. I have been drinking a lot of ice tea with lemon. I did go back to the Chiro yesterday and he did some treatment on my arm and back. He said I could wait until next Friday for my next visit. Since I had just had a birthday, they waived my co-pay--I was really surprised about that. My really good friend in Mesa, Herman, had a catherization done last Monday and they had to take him to surgery because he needed a valve replaced as well as two by-passes which had almost closed again. I got word from his wife today that he is still in intensive care but that he is doing better and even sitting up and eating. I am truly concerned about him because it wasn't too long that he had a mild stroke. You just never know from one day to the other so when we get up each morning and feel really great--we are very lucky!

I need to get a package off to my daughter so take care and I will write more later. Halgal -- you card is wonderful!

Take care,
Anita

http://img.123greetings.com/events/eapr_easter_happy_easter12/happyeast21b.gif]

have been pretty good all during Lent and have not eaten all that much rubbish foods. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and a friend gave me a Rolo chocolate Easter Egg. If I start to eat it I may finish the whole lot and that might start me back on to chocolate again. Maybe I could just eat a small bit and give the rest to the 'kids'. They have their own eggs though ......... they were on special offer, at our local supermarket, when Orla and myself were shopping one day ........ 3 for the price of 2 so we bought them. My kids aged 18, 21 and 23 will have their Easter Eggs tomorrow!!
Mind you with all this cutting out the 'bad' foods I have lost very little weight .......... problem is I eat too much of the 'good' foods.
I have not been walking as much recrently as the weather has been very wet and I was feeling a bit sick for two days. Hopefully I will get more walks in this coming week as I am off work.


Have a great Easter all you chickies!!


What you make of it

The difference between a dreary day and a beautiful one is mainly in what you make of it. The difference between an impassable obstacle and a golden opportunity is primarily in what you make of it.
Each experience is largely raw and unformed until you actually experience it. Each circumstance, each encounter with life is yours to make of it what you will.

Your attitude is the filter through which the moments of your life are seen and known and valued. What gets through to you and what does not, is largely up to you.

Life can be filled with unfairness and misery, or it can be full of invigorating challenge and opportunities for achievement. So much depends on how you take it, on what you make of what comes your way.

Some have been blessed with every advantage, and end up with nothing to show for it all. Others have been saddled with unimaginable burdens, and yet have risen to magnificent heights.

As this day plays out, whatever the moments may bring, make the choice to look first for the positive possibilities. This day, this moment, this life is what you make of it.

-- Ralph Marston

http://www.imgag.com/product/full/ap/2022869/graphic1.gif


Even though we may not be OP all (OK, most...) of the time - the support and words of encouragement we offer each other are invaluable.

I really appreciate each of you for your honesty and support!

;) :angel: :flow1: ;) :angel: :flow1: ;) :angel: :flow1: ;)

Hello ladies,

Nita - WTG on you 1/2 lb loss. Do you count your tea as water, or is that seperate? I'm still having a hard time with the water.

Thin - Their is a great Goodwill center near me. I was in their with a friend before & she bought a patio table, 4chairs & a umbrella & base for like $ 30.00 bucks.. I have never been that lucky in my finds though.

Hal - beautiful card.

We'll this weekend I really blew it, I bought some of my favorite easter candy ( Brach's malted eggs) not 1 pkg, but two. Ate them... then when I went back to the store, I was like oh, they'll be gone soon, so bought two more pkgs.... and of course today, trying to get back on track.

Tonight I need to get on the treadmill, I didn't exercise at all this weekend...

Hi everyone --

I've been super busy...working and doing freelance web work on the side (just finished one huge freelance project) and getting ready to move into our new house! We're almost all packed -- just a few odds and ends still to pack. We close at the end of the month. Then we'll be painting the first weekend and moving in little by little throughout May. We're going to take boxes over to the new house each day after work and unpack the ones we can. Then we have friends helping us move boxes and light furniture on 5/15 and on 5/21 we have movers coming to move the appliances and other heavy items.

My weight isn't doing too good....and the exercise I'm getting is in the form of packing and moving boxes around.

Nita -- I've been watching American Idol. There are a few really talented people again this time around.

I'm going to Minneapolis/St. Paul this Friday with a girlfriend. We're going to see Clay Aiken/Kelly Clarkson in concert! I'm really excited! The timing could've been better with getting ready to move and all, but I got the concert tickets before we bought the house. I'm going to the concert with a girlfriend instead of DH because he really, really did NOT want to see Clay Aiken at all. And he didn't want me doing the 5 hour drive and being in St. Paul by myself, so I said that's fine, my friend Shari and I will go.

Has anyone heard from Mej? I'd like to ask her about stuff to do in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. I'd really like to check out some antique stores, and also check out some furniture places, as well as any other kind of store that might have neat things for the new house.

ChaCha or Thin if you happen to know of any neat places on the way to Minneapolis that might be cool to check out, please let me know.

Well, better sign off for now. I've missed you all a lot. :grouphug:

Hi chickies ........... Michelle good to hear from you again ............... and I also got a reply from the e-mail I sent to Taz so I am posting it for you all to read
"

Hi Mooz!!!

I am just fine. I have been keeping my weight off. However I have plateao at 220 pounds and can't seem to move another pound no matter what I do. So I'm learning to live with that. As it stands I have lost 110 pounds so I feel that is a big enough feat and I don't fault myself for not being able to reach my ultimate goal of 170 pounds. Hey, I'm not as young as I used to be.

I'm sorry I don't have the time I used to have when I posted on the thread each day. My mom is quite ill now. My youngest sister and I are her primary care givers. I also serve as president for a non profit organization to promote equal rights. I have been doing a lot of traveling and speaking engagements related to that position as well. I visited 7 states last year and so far this year I have 4 more on my plate along with a national convention in Salt Lake City in October.

I feel so blessed and fortunate as to have met all you fun gals on the thread. It is good to know that I am still thought well of there too. I'll try to check in from time to time. I know daily posting it not in the cards right now but I think fondly of you guys as well and want to know how you are making it.

Thanks so much for checking after me. You are one big ole doll baby. I know the girls are glad to have you to keep the motivation going. That is important.

Sending love to the whole gang.

Taz"

Hi Ladies,

It's a beautiful Monday in Phoenix. I got my hair cut this morning by a new hairdresser and she followed my instructions very well. I then did my usual bowling, came home, planted some flowers and then did my treadmill.

Michelle, it's so great to hear from you. As you may know I attended the Clay Aiken concert in Phoenix and trust me, you will not be disappointed. He is even more fantastic in person than on TV.

TAZ -- Just in case you check back--it was great to hear from you. I am one of those persons you helped get to her goal at WW. Since Christmas, however, I have gained a few pounds back but am doing something about that. Mooz, thanks for sharing TAZ's message.

1 Day -- Yes, I do count my tea as water because I only put sweetner and lemon in it. I believe we were told at our WW meeting that you could use 3 unsweetened beverages towards your water for the day. I, too, have a problem with the water. What I found works best is to take a bottle of water and put it in the freezer for about 1-1/2 to 2 hrs. and then it seems to stay cold longer and I can usually finish at least the one bottle.

Since we stayed home for Easter I made the following pie which came out quite good. The ingredients may not sound too great but try it and you might like it: 3/4 cup of plain yogourt; add 1 box of jello (non-sugar--I used strawberry); then add a box of non-sugar pudding (I would have used vanilla but I only had pistachio so that is what I used); I then added one small can of crushed pineapple in its own juice; make sure you mix all of this really well and then add about 1/2 container of coolwhip. I then put this into a reduced graham cracker piecrust. It needs to go in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. It turned out really well and the good news is it keeps for more than one day in the refrigerator. Sorry I didn't count up the points but I don't think it could be more than 4 depending on the size of the piece you eat.

Thanks again to all of you for being there for each other.

Take care,
Anita

Michelle, Taz--Great to hear from you!

I overdid on Easter.

Had such a fine poetry class tonight. Some at the first class last week were just into warm fuzzies, but I think they left and everyone know is serious about improving their poetry.

Long day.

G'night.

Hello all you fine chicks~~ Easter has come and gone and i feel i made pretty good food choices during this time. Exercise has not been happening regularly, it seems right now all we do is ride around in the pickup. We are trying to get some last minute things done here. We took it in to have the hitch put on it so we can tow the motorcycle home. But we still don't have a trailer bought. We keep trying to find a good used one, but all we've done is burn up alot of gas so far. I think we may end up having to buy brand new, and the downside to that is you have to pay the high (7.8%) AZ sales tax. So that is our last resort of course. Course in Michigan you pay the sales tax either way, used or new, so that is a very good thing here in AZ. Hope they don't change it.

I think today is going to get into the 90's but then it will go back to more seasonal tomorrow. I want it to STAY in the 80's, but i guess i can't make it do that can i?? :lol: ;) :D

~~MOOZ~~thanks for forwarding TAZ's letter. It is great to hear she is doing well. I too think i will choose a higher # for my goal weight this time. Each year that we age makes it harder to lose the last 5 or 10 # it seems. And having just a few over might be neccessary if one gets ill. The manager at this park was a small size(like a 4 or maybe even a 2) and she has gotten very ill (a liver problem) and she had no excess to lose to begin with. She can barely eat and even drinking the fluids needed is a problem. She had to go to the hospital for an IV for a day. It is very serious where she is at right now, I hope she pulls thru. Say a prayer chicks.


~~~MICHELLE~~ so wonderful to hear from you. Glad all the packing and stuff is going along. Just think, soon you will be in your own place~~ how exciting. Sorry that i don't know about shopping in the twin cities area. Hope Mej checks in occasionally on these boards, but we have not heard from her in a very long time. Maybe CHACHA knows something tho.

~~1DAY~~ sorry to hear about those darn malted milk candies. I did have a few easter bunnies around here, but i did not go back to the store again. Like you said you can get it in your head that either they won't be in the stores again till next holiday, or that they are reduced and on sale the days after Easter, etc, and somehow they end up in our carts~~ I say take em to work and let others share in the calories :D :lol: You can do this!

Hi to all the rest, must go now and make DH and I some breakfast. I found turkey sausage at Trader Joes yesterday. And we will have scrambled egg. Good protein at least.

:grouphug: :wave: thinlizzie

Hello Ladies,
We'll no more easter eggs... I ate them all & luckily the store is out of them. Today i'm back on track. I went walking at lunch (30 min) and plan to take a 20 min walk later in the day. I also plan on getting on treadmill tonight.

Mitchellez - Good to hear from you. Congrats on the new house. I sure your babies will like their new home too. I hope once you get moved in & settled you'll be able to post more often. We sure missed you.

Thin - I can't believe it's in the 90's already. We had a cold front come in and our high today is like 64... it's suppose to get in the 70 by the end of the week. Saying a prayer for the office manager...

Mooz - thanks for forwarding Taz's note.

Taz - it was good to hear from you too.

Nita - Your dessert sounds good.

Cat - I know I overdid it too. How is your foot?

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Wow... great to hear from everyone? Did Dr. Phil have a weight loss show this week? If so, can anyone share what was on it? I taped a really interesting show on PBS called Frontline - Diet Wars. Bottom line... you have to move the old body and consume fewer calories. This was current and indepth - it answered many controversial questions about the newer diet plans be promoted by the media today. Catch it if you see it on in your area.

Mooz: Thanks for hooking up with TAZ one more time. You both are highly inspirational to this thread - and I have always looked forward and appreciated your posts.

Michellez: Good to hear you are doing well, sounds like you are pretty busy! You will have to post pictures of your new home once you get settled. I remember Buster always being 'on edge' when I would move - the last time I moved he slept with the boxes that last night - making sure he went out with them!

OneDay: Good to hear you are back OP exercising. Now for me... As a child I use to go to a local candy store and get .25 worth of malted balls. My sister decided to bring me .25 worth last summer. I think it had 3 balls in it, and she said the lady threw one in. LOVE those things!

Nita: Thanks for the pie recipe. It looks really go to me! I have a good friend that is joining WW today. She got engaged last week, and wants to slim down in the next year for her wedding - and ever. Don't we all.

CatLover: Thanks for your poem... I posted one, but not my writing. I respect you folks that are able to do that. What was the best thing you enjoyed on Easter?

TAZ: If you are there, you are still my hero. I want to hear about your low carb efforts. What kind of diet you are using now. GREAT to hear from you!

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Hey Everyone!

Hump day, and it is a beautiful day in central Kentucky!! Yippie...after 4 days of pouring rain, the sun is very welcome. It is still really cold, but our temps are due to be in the 70's by the weekend. This is 'Thunder Over Louisville' weekend - the Kentucky Derby celebrations opening activity. They have all types of air activities from hot air ballon races, stunt airplane shows and the finale is a huge, did I say HUGE fireworks display.

My culinary skills class made traditional chocolate chip cookies today. I demonstrated with a healthy version of them using oats, nuts and raisins. If you could have seen to looks on their faces. A few of them chose to use oats and nuts, but the raisins are still sitting on my demo cart. :lol:

I have a few projects for finish up for my university classes by the end of the month, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Light? Time for me... time for Rocky... We can walk... have fun... enjoy daylight. ;)

Let me know if anyone caught this weeks Dr. Phil weight loss show. I think I'll check his website out - now that pressure is off and time is more readily available.

May this post find everyone doing well and enjoying an OP day!!

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Hello Ladies,
Just a quick hello. Ended up working late today & I missed my bus. The next one was at 6:40pm... that's the one I caught. Didn't get home til 7:30pm...
I'm tired...I know I need to exercise, but not tonight...
Hope everyone is having a good evening...

I've been doing pretty well on the fruits and veggies--will be interesting to see WI.

DH saw the dr today to see if he needs his esophagus reamed out again.

Haven't heard yet . . . prayers appreciated.

OK chickies time for a new thread as this one is getting too long so .............
DO NOT POST HERE ANYMORE and I will see you in our new home!