WW Clubs and Groups - 50 or more pounds #59

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

Texaslady, glad you enjoyed the game! Good thing you didn't get the weather we had yesterday, with t-storms so bad they cancelled the Fiesta river parade. We needed the rain, though, and today is gorgeous! Re: your friend's low vision problems, there are *so* many great aids out there; an Internet search on "low vision aids" will give lots of results. Dad got his through the V.A., but they contract out to a private company that evaluates you and prescribes the right aids. I'm sure Houston has companies like that! What exciting news about your dd's closing; it's all coming together so well!

Liz, good to hear from you again! I envy you having a Trader Joe's nearby; what a place! I hope your poison ivy episode is cleared up? How awful; swollen eyes can be so painful. Were you out hiking when you contacted it?

Carol, you're right, I didn't make much of a haul; will keep shopping! Glad you liked the salsa; it's a staple in our house. Re: the beach, we're heading to Rockport, a lovely little artsy town near Corpus Christi. We stay at this old motel built right on the water, so when you're on the porch outside your room, you're actually over the water. Guess it was built before codes prohibited that! They have lots of nature trails and such, so will try to get in lots of walking and some swimming.

Hi to Janet, Saara, Patti, Rebecca, Stamps, Nancy, Nancy, and Kendra; hope all is well!
Regards,
Jan

Hi Ladies,

Well, the crawfish held me back a little - I lost 1.2. But I just realized that the girl made a mistake on my card. She put that my loss for the week was only .8. So, all night I thought that was all I lost. I know it is not a big difference but I want credit for every ounce. She DID have my total right (19.6) though. I'm happy -- as long as it keeps going down.

Rebecca - I LOVE potato chips also. I'm not much of a sweet eater, but I love salty snacks. I only eat WOW chips now and when I do, it is only a handful with a sandwich. But I really like them and they taste like the real thing. And I must not eat enough of them to bother my stomach, because I haven't had any problems. I like the Ruffles the best. Hang in there.

Jan - My natural hair color is dark brown and he keeps it basically dark brown with like a tint of auburn. It covers those "lighter" hairs very well - if you know what I mean.

TexasLady - My son's prom is May 18th. We have a baccalaureat (sp?) Mass that morning and a breakfast after. Then graduation is the 21st. He starts exams next Monday. Last day of school is May 4. On May 3 we go to Lake Charles, Louisiana for a State band competition. It's a 5 hour bus ride - ugh!!! They had the band banquet this weekend and they showed a slide show and it made me cry.

I don't know if you all heard or not, I know they showed it on COPS and they are showing it on America's most wanted - but an 11 year old girl was kidnapped from Slidell (which is right across the lake from us) the day after Easter. Her 6 year old sister saw her go to give directions to a man in a van - he wanted to know where the office of their apartment complex was. No one has seen her since. Everyone is just sick about it. My niece is 11 and I could cry everytime I think about it. You can just hear the emotion in the newscasters voices when they talk about it each day. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Well, I'd better go, my boss is taking me to lunch for an early Secretary's Day treat. We are going to Cannon's Restaurant. They make a wonderful grilled fish!! Hi to everyone I missed.

Take care,
Patti

Hi everyone.
Not to bore you all, but Jan asked... I just added a new album of pix of my little sweetie to my Picture Trail site- they are all in the "World' Cutest Toddler" book.
Will post more later. Bye for now.
Carol :wave:

STAMPS HERE (Thanks for the shorter name...I like it!)

Question...
Does your menstral cycle have an effect on your WI? Do you retain water (thus weight)?

I WI Thurs. & I will let you know. If I gain it was either the cycle or the Lonestar Steak House. :0)

Carol, the new pix are delightful! :angel: he must be a real joy for you and his parents!

Stamps, I'm sure that your cycle could have an effect on your WI....if so, it will soon pass. hang in there, and stay OP as you can.

Patti, you have a busy schedule!! Our senior events are spread out from May 12, Prom, thru Graduation on June 14. She has some minimum days this week, so hopefully, we will get some driving practice in.. I need to make an appointment for her driving test, I guess she is ready.
What is it about the crawfish that did you in? Are they boiled in saltwater? or what? We made our reservations to go to New Orleans in Sept-Oct...you will have to clue me in as to what foods are *mandatory* to try. :lol:

Have a great day!
:wave:
~~~~
Joyce

Patti, congrats on the 1.2! That's a very good loss. Nearly 20 pounds gone now! That's so terrific. Hope you enjoyed your grilled fish at lunch; isn't it great that most seafood places now have healthier choices like that? I can remember when pretty much everything at seafood places was fried.

Carol, those pictures of your little sweetie are just precious! What a cute Easter outfit he had, too! That darling little smile of his really shows what a happy and loved child he is. Thanks for sharing those with us!

JOYce, are you and your DH driving or flying out to New Orleans in Sept-Oct? If driving, hope you'll stop by for a visit with us. (We have spare bedrooms and would love to have you stay over!) You'd probably be driving I-10, and we're less than an hour out of your way ...

Stamps, I'm sure that TOM (time of month) has an effect on weight, since we tend to retain water then. You might want to drink more water (which, strangely enough, keeps you from retaining it) to offset that. Also, like JOYce said, don't worry if the scale doesn't show a big loss; it will show up the next week!

Went to my mtg. last night and again had a small gain, second time in a row. Darn. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I'm going to try eating at the short end of my range for a while and journalling more carefully. I'll have to be extra cautious at the beach this weekend, too! I've been walking 3 miles every morning, lifting weights every other day, counting points and drinking the water; maybe I'm having too much salt and not enough fiber. Will just have to try harder!

Hi to Janet, Saara, Texaslady, Rebecca, Nancy, NancyTC, and Kendra!
Regards,
Jan

Hi everyone,

Guess what??? After going out to lunch yesterday (but I was good) - today we had a meeting and we brough Chinese in!!! I had something called Triple Dragon and it seemed pretty light. It had chicken, pork and shrimp in it but the gravy was more like a broth than gravy. It was pretty good. I just feel so stuffed....you know how Chinese food is.

Stamps - My TOM had a little influence on my weight loss a couple of weeks ago. I only lost .8 that week, but they said that was still good because most people show a gain. And then the following week I lost 3.8 so you kind of make up for it I think. Just keep drinking lots of water and DO NOT get discouraged. It's only one week!

Joyce - The crawfish just makes you hold water. Any of the boiled seafood down here is boiled with Zatarains Crab Boil seasoning and it is spicy and salty AND delicious. We put all kinds of good veggies in the boiling water too - like whole heads of garlic, whole onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, cauliflower, artichokes, potatoes and corn on the cob. It is great. You definetly have to try boiled crawfish, crabs and shrimp. Also, you need to try gumbo if you've never had it, shrimp remoulade, bread pudding, pralines, good ole new orleans red beans and rice and barbeque shrimp. That's just to name a few. Where are y'all staying? Have you been here before? The Jazz Fest is this weekend and next weekend. It is huge.

Well, I gotta run. Talk to everyone later.

Patti

Good Afternoon Everyone!

Well, my day is turning out better. The sun is shining and it is 75 degrees. This from the people who just had snow on Sunday. North Dakota weather at its best...

At my weigh in today, I did bad. :( I gained .9! I was so ashamed. I know what I did wrong, and I knew this morning that I would be weighing heavy because of my eating habits this week. I think though, the gain was enough to kick me in the butt and get me back on track. I just hope this is the last gain I have...

Other than that, I bought a pair of jeans a size smaller than I was wearing...and I can wear them! :D Maybe a little tight, but not so bad. I am reluctant to buy too many clothes because I am going to reach my goal and I don't want to many clothes that I can't wear. (Thought maybe if I sound optimistic, it will come true.) :)

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

Rebecca :cool:

PattiThanks for all the food info! Sounds like a dangerous place, but I am so looking forward to it!
We haven't made reservations to stay anywhere yet, just the traveling ones.

Jan You are such a gracious lady! thanks for the invitation, but we will be flying on our frequent flyer miles. But one of these days, I will say yes!

Rebecca, at least you know what your mistake was, so put it behind you, this is a new week for you!
:)

~~~
:wave:
Joyce

Hi girls!

Can't stay too long - just wanted to check in. Have been too busy at work to even log onto the site - and today's was Secretaries Day and the boss treated all of us non-secretaries (legal assistants, instead) to a wonderful long lunch at a fancy restaurant. The bosses stayed behind and answered the phone. It was much fun. I had a Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp on top - yummy and not TOO bad, I guess. Also had a glass of wine - but just one!

Rebecca - congrats on the smaller pants! It's good to reward yourself - I think its especially important when you haven't had a very good week. It helps you focus on all that you have accomplished since joining WW! So just get back up on that horse.

Ditto to Jan. I know that I shouldn't speak as I haven't been staying op very well these last few weeks!! but you are our inspiration! I envy you your trip to Rockport. The place you are staying sounds just too wonderful to be true. My kind of place, that's for sure.

Joyce - You & your dh are going to have the best time in New Orleans! Boy, you better start banking points NOW! Kidding aside, there is lots of boiled seafood available too! But I don't know what you will do about the pecan pralines! Sinfully delicious. Good luck to Melissa on her driving test.

Patti - You have a big month coming up with all your Senior activities! Sounds like such fun, though. My dd was in band in high school too, and we had some of the best times on band trips - also some of the most hair-raising! Nothing like chaperoning a busload of high schoolers to make your hair turn gray fast.

Stamps - I think that TOM may make you not lose as much as you should have. But as these girls have said, it will all come out even in the end as long as you don't let the numbers on the scales throw you into a funk.

Carol - I will check out the photo album once I get home but I am certain I will see the world's cutest toddler in your picture album! :) Not that his Grandma's prejudiced or anything ..................

Janet - Where the heck are you?

Liz - Good to hear from you! How did you get the poison ivy? Was it when you had your Orienterring week-end? Hope you are better now. My ex dh was SO allergic to poison ivy - he didn't even have to touch it - just be in the vicinity - to get a bad case!!

Saara - Have a good time this week-end! Hope your party turns out great.

Good morning ladies!
Boy, has this been a busy wek to work in an allergist's office!! The pollen count has been over 1500-an all time high, and everybody wants an apointment yesterday. And speaking of allergies, my little :angel: is coming in to see my boss for his first allergy appointment this morning. I'm anxious to find out what's causing his chronic runny nose- and all those ear infections before he had his tubes put in!
Liz, sorry about your poison ivy- hope you're doing better. My father was terrribly sensitive to poison oak- I can remember one time when I was a child when his face was swollen beyond recognition after he'd burned some leaves that apparently had poison ivy or oak in them. I too love the Kashi bars- the peanut butter chocolate ones, specifically.
Jan, your beach trip sounds wonderful!! Don't sweat the small gain- as close as you are to goal, it's a fight every step of the way!! Maybe your exercise is adding muscle mass since your eating has been on track? Glad you enjoyed the pix- he definitely is a loved child, that's for sure!
Patti, congrats on the 1.2 loss!:) Any word on the kidnapped child? Your grilled fish sounds good!
Stamps, I agree with the others that water weight is definitely a factor- some people gain(and then quickly lose) as much as 5 pounds then.
Joyce, your upcoming trip to New Orleans should be a lot of fun! I've never been there- or a lot of other places, for that matter!:lol:
Rebecca, congrats on the smaller jeans size!! Isn't that th best feeling? Along the way as my size changes from 24 to 12-14 I've become very good at finding clearance sales and other bargains to save money on the necessary transition clothes! Since you know where you went wrong on the .9 gain, I'm sure it will be gone next week!
Texaslady, how nice of your bosses to take ou all to lunch!! Who me? Slightly prejudiced about the "world's cutest toddler"? :o

I went out to dinner with a friend Tuesday night and tried something different. It was grilled chicken and grilled asparagus spears on top of penne pasta in a vodka and bacon flavored tomato sauce. It was really good! And speaking of good, has anyone tried the Vitamuffins advertised in WW magazine? I sent for some- they came yesterday, and are really good. Fat free, 8gm of fiber, 200 cal for 2 points (old system) and have all the vitamins and minerals of a nutrition bar. They come in Cranbran, Bluebran and Multibran. Their web site is http://www.vitalicious.com
Gosh! Look at the time! Gotta run. Have a great Thursday, everyone.
Carol

Hi girls...I think this may be the longest that I have ever been AWOL. Sorry, but things have been hectic as usual. I did try to post a couple of times last week, and ended up losing both long posts...so I gave up. I have been lurking some and trying to keep up.

Congratulations to all the losers...and for those of you who showed small gains, don't despair. It sounds like you are all on top of it and aware of why you gained, so I know the scale will be kinder next time. Jan, I bet your gain was because you are building so much muscle. Is weight training something you have just recently started? Krysten and I were just talking about how we wanted to add that to our exercise routine, but I'm trying to take one step at a time. Enjoy your trip to the beach...it sounds wonderful! Tell DH and your dad hi for me.

Stamps, I have never gotten to welcome you. I've been posting here for about a year, but have been slacking a little the last couple of months. You are going to find so much inspiration and encouragement here, not to mention some great friends. TOM definitely causes me to show small gains each month. I'm going through peri-menapause and now some months I have all the symtoms (including the weight gain) but no TOM...very frustrating!!

Patti, everytime I read your posts, I decide that you and I have more and more in common. My daughter graduates May 27 and she has also participated in the band...since the 6th grade. They will have their final band concert next Monday night where all the seniors will be recognized. She was on the flag/guard team for the last two years but before that she played the baritone...with all the boys. She didn't start out wanting to play that instrument, but she was the only one in the 6th grade who could use their lips correctly. Of course, being with the boys ended up being a good thing as she got older. :D She got a scholarship to do flags at the college she will be attending, so I will still get to go to band functions, but I don't think it will be the same. I'm going to miss all the activities. Has there been any progress made with the kidnapped girl? That tore at my heart, and my prayers are with her and her family.

JOYce, while you are in New Orleans y'all have to go to Cafe Du Monde for some of their scrumptous beignets and coffee or hot chocolate. I don't drink coffee, but their hot chocolate is the best in the world to me. The beignets are fluffy doughnuts sprinkled with powered sugar. I believe the cafe is open 24 hours and is down in the French Quarter. Just talking about it makes me want to hop in the car right now!

Texaslady, haven't we been having strange weather? One day it will be 80 degrees and the next it will be in the 30's. How did your DD's engagement pics turn out? Have they gotten them back yet? I can't wait to see them.

Carol, I'm glad you had such a good time at your friend's inauguration. What an honor for you to have been included. I know it meant so much to her to have you there. The pics of your sweet grandson were absolutely adorable. I can't wait to meet him in person one day soon. You've never been to New Orleans? Well we will definitely have to rectify that. You can fly down here and we can hop in my car and be there in no time. It is and has always been one of my favorite places. I can remember as a little girl going there and driving down Bourbon Street. They have it closed off now and you have to walk, but back then you could drive. I can remember hanging out the windows and being amazed at all the sights and sounds...most of which were definitely not PG rated...but I loved it. It is just a beautiful, diverse city. I sound like a travel brochure! :rolleyes:

Saara, I'm going to email you at home to verify your address before I mail you your package. I know you are computerless right now, but if you happen to log on just watch your email. Enjoy your May Day activities...they sound like so much fun. We have lots of festivals and things going on here right now too. I want to go to Memphis in May, but I don't think that will happen this year. Lynard Skynard is going to be here in a couple of weeks and I am trying my best to figure out how I can find time (and money) to go to that concert. You probably don't even know who that is since you are quite a bit younger than me (and live in Finland), but I KNOW that Jan does!! :cool: Get your computer fixed soon...I miss your posts. We are definitely going to have to try to plan our get-together next year around you coming to the United States, so keep us posted about your plans.

Rebecca, don't be ashamed about your small gain. That is a very small amount, and you will be able to lose it in no time. Concentrate on those new jeans you were able to buy in a smaller size. What a wonderful feeling that is! I've only gone down one size so far, but I look forward to everything getting too big and falling off me. Speaking of that, I will have to tell you my "falling pants at the movies" story some time. I'm sure all the girls here who have posted for awhile will remember my embarrasing experience! :eek:

Liz, I am sitting here scratching just thinking about poison ivy. I had a terrible case of it last year and vowed NEVER to go through that again. A girl in my office just missed two days of work and ended up going to the doctor twice. It makes me cringe just thinking about it! Take care of yourself and get well soon!! I wish I had a Trader Joe's to shop at. There are so many things I want to try...and I have looked all over here for those Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches but haven't had any luck. I don't even really love ice cream, but everyone makes them sound sooooo good!

Well, I don't have much to report on the weight loss front. I've been having those TOM symptoms so I have showed a slight gain the last two weeks. Hopefully next week will be better. DD has really been exercising like crazy lately, so she has inspired me to do better. Of course, I don't have one tenth of her energy. :( She is so ready for school to be out. She has gone through twelve years without ever even being sent to the principal's office, but last week she called and told me that she got ISS. I was all excited thinking it was something good (since she was calling me at my office during the middle of the day). :lol: Turns out it stands for "In School Suspension" and she got it for being tardy to a certain class. I hated it for her because now she can't be exempt from her exams after she has worked so hard, but she was relieved that I didn't get all bent out of shape. I was worried about my sister-in-law (who is a teacher at the high school) knowing about it and telling my mom. I was going to tell her, but wanted to do it in my own way and time. Well, it turns out that Krysten spent her two days in ISS sitting next to her cousin. :lol: He was in there for skipping and that really made Krysten mad. She didn't think that the punishment for being 5 seconds late for class should be the same as for skipping. Their first assignment was to write a report telling how they felt being in ISS and about the teacher that put them there...and let's just say that Krysten gave them a piece of her mind. She is an angel :angel: most of the time, but she can be very opinionated. I wonder where she gets that trait?? :?: :lol:

Back to work. Hi to Nancy, Nancy and Kendra. Did I miss anyone?? Have a great OP week.

Janet (kudzu)

Hi Janet! Good to hear from you! Sounds like you have really been busy. Thanks for the encouragement; if I can just stay OP this weekend, surely things will turn around! Re: the weight training, my little sister designed a simple program for me (curls, rows, etc.) that I do with 10-pound weights from WalMart. She's a physical therapist and a personal trainer, so I'm in good hands! Next time she visits, she's going to add more "stuff" to the routine. It's fun to do, and I can already see results after only a couple of months. And thanks, yes, I'll be sure to say "hi" to Dad and dh for you! We're all hoping to see y'all again at our second reunion, and you're right, we definitely need to plan that around Saara's visit! Sure hope you get to go to the Lynard Skynard concert! You're right, I have several of his tapes. Sorry to hear Krysten got ISS; doesn't seem right for just a tardy! But it sounds like she's handling it well. Glad she got the chance to tell them how she felt about it!

Carol, thanks for the tip on the Vitamuffins; will have to try those! How did your little darlin's appointment go this morning? I'll bet he was excited to see you there! That asparagus and penne dish sounds great; penne is our favorite pasta anyway. We get huge bags of it at Sam's to divide between the houses. Also, Hodgson's Mill makes a whole wheat penne that's lower in points.

Texaslady, yes, I think you'd like this place! It's a little old and worn, small rooms, but clean, with a great pool. Not too far from Houston, really! It's at http://surfcourtmotel.com/ .

Rebecca, jeans a size smaller, that's great! And like everyone said, don't let the small gain throw you off track; I know that's discouraging, as I 'm in the same boat, but I agree with you that it should just give us more incentive to work harder. We'll both show a loss next week, I'm sure!

JOYce, I'll hold you to that, now; you just have to come to our next reunion! I know you'll enjoy your New Orleans trip; such a fascinating city! I love the antique shops. And the aquarium is a marvel too. Guess my favorite thing is taking those riverboat rides, though!

Patti, we must have been posting at the same time. Are you going to the Jazz Festival this weekend? How is your search for a house going?

Hi to Saara, Stamps, Nancy, Nancy in tc and Kendra; hope you had a great Thursday!
Regards,
Jan

Hi All!!

Joyce - I had forgotten about the beignets - they are great. We make them at home sometimes. Cafe du Monde is right in the French Quarter on Decatur Street.

Texaslady - I have been chaperoning the band for the last 4 years and the worst trip we have been on was 2 years ago to San Antonio. We went by charter bus and the bus driver was falling asleep at the wheel. We traveled all night both ways and the parents on the bus never closed their eyes because we were so afraid. Thankfully the bus company will be a different one to go to Lake Charles. I did actually enjoy San Antonio though. We went to Fiesta Texas and The Riverwalk and Alamo.

Janet - My son has only been in band since his Freshman year. He has always loved to play music though. He is in the bad boy group of the band ----- the Percussion group!!!!! He has learned to play so many instruments though, like all the drums, snare, quads, bass, tympany, and all of the melodic percussion instruments too. He also can play keyboards, guitar, and bass guitar very, very well. I will really miss the football games and especially the Mardi Gras Parades. We were in 4 this year and I really love them. It is alot of walking though. We did Bacchus this year and it is almost 10 miles. At least DS only carried a snare drum this year. Last year he carried 40 lb. quads!!! I'm gonna miss it though.

Jan - No I wont be at Jazz Fest this weekend. Our church fair is this weekend. Maybe next weekend. Haven't actually seriously looked for a house yet. Still reeling from spending all of this money on graduation.

For everyone who asked about Lisa, the girl that was kidnapped - still no sign of her. The whole community is involved. It is really sad. Her picture is in every store you go into. I keep thinking of that move "The Deep End of the Ocean" and hope that she is alive and well and will be reunited with her family soon.

Well I'll talk to you all later.

Patti

Good morning everyone! TGIF!
I'm off today to be a babysitting grandma- my dd is dropping my little sweetie by about 9.
And speaking of my little sweetie, he had his allergy workup yesterday. He's very allergic to cats, dogs(of which they have 2), eggs and peanuts. The scary thing is we've been totally avoiding peanut with him because my dd has a mild peanut allergy, and he's become super-allergic just from what little exposure you'd get in non-peanut foods- like stuff that contains peanut oil or peanut flour. So, my dd has to carry an epi pen for him just in case, and keep one anywhere he stays a lot- like my place. I think the worst part of the visit for me is that some of the tests had to be done with injections under his skin, so in addition to the food scratch tests on his back he had to have 8 needles in his arm. That was bad enough, but I ended up being the one to give him the needles. :cry: The nurse I was working with isn't as comfortable doing those tests on real little ones- I've worked there for 9 years, and if I do say so myself I'm good at them and I'm fast. So, I figured since he was going to be hurt anyhow, maybe I could get it over with faster abd hurt him a little less. He was such a little :angel:!!! He cried, but didn't fight or scream, and when I was done he reached out for me and did his snuggle thing, so all was forgiven. He didn't even cry for the scratch tests she did on his back while he snuggled with me. He is just the best little guy. I've had adult patients who whined and carried on like big babies, and here a little 16 month old was so good! She didn't test him for pollens- she usually doesn't do those till after age 2 because they don't show much bfore then.
HMMM! I can see I've told you all more about THAT than you ever wanted to know!:lol:
Janet, welcome back to the fold!!!After yesterday, I'm more than ready to go to New Orleans with you! But first, when are you coming to beautiful :rolleyes: downtown Waldorf?
What's everyone got planned for the weekend? I work tomorrow morning and will probably pull babysitting detail later tomorrow (I'm hoping to talk the kids into taking me out to eat in exchange for me then watching Gary while they go to a movie- wish me luck!!!). Sunday a coworker and I are going to the Sugarloaf Craft Festival about an hour north of here- we went last year and had a lot of fun. The weather is supposed to be beautiful all weekend- exept for the pollen!
Well, I'd better run. I need to do some stuff before the little guy arrives. I think I'll take him to the toy store for a "poor baby" present today!
Hav a good weekend, everyone
Carol.

Time to report>>>>>

I lost 2 lbs. even! I think I was so freaked out about my TOM that I excercised even harder.

My dad has lost 28 lbs., my mom 17 lbs. I am thrilled for everyone!

Kudzu--Thanks for the welcome! I have seen kudzu & can appreciate it from a far. Coming from the desert, I though it was beautiful, but I hear most natives think it is swallowing their land!

To all--Thanks for the TOM advice. I know everything works out in end!

Another question...My mom is not set on her points. I say you have to pick a certain amount of points not a point range, i.e. I can have 26 points per day. She on the other hand eats between 23-25. Doesn't that defeat the banking system? Any suggestions?

Next week's question for you all...what was "The Right Mix" all about??????? (Be thinking over your answers. It may take a week to come up with one!)

Oh...a homework assignment for next week...I LOVE IT!! I love a thought provoking question!!

Happy Friday!! :)

Stamps, congratulations on your loss...and regarding your points question...I now do WW at home so I may not be the person to best answer your question, but when I first joined I lost 30 pounds within the first three months. It has always been my understanding that it is okay to vary your points as long as you stay within your range. You should never go above...or especially...below your points range. Banked points accrue when you stay at the low end of your range. I see your dilemma though...if you bank those extra points and then end up using them, wouldn't it be the same as eating the highest number all week. Is that what you are asking? Now I am confusing myself! :?: :lol: Personally, I have found that I do best when I vary my points during the week. If I constantly stay at the same number of points, that is when I eventually plateau. I think the most important thing is to find what works for you, because the same thing doesn't work for every person. Everybody who has been successful has their own thoughts on what has worked for them. One lady on this board always stayed at 38 points...no matter how low her weight got or what range she was supposed to be in...and she continued to lose and reach goal. She lost a lot of weight...80 or 90 pounds I believe. Some on this thread try to always stay at the bottom of their range. I'm starting to ramble, so I think I will let someone else with more experience answer your question...and I will start thinking about next week's question! That is great that your parents are on this journey with you...and it sounds like you are all doing great!

About kudzu...I was impressed that you knew what that was because not many people do. I personally love kudzu, but you are right about people disliking it because it spreads like wildfire. There is one area of Mississippi that is covered in it...the trees, the light and telephone poles...it covers anything in its path. I have just always thought it was a beautiful sight and they are now discovering some wonderful uses for it.

Patti, "the bad boy group" is my favorite. I loved how you called it that! :D I could listen to the percussion section for hours. After most of our ballgames, the boys would start playing as they walked back to the school or bus and that was one of my favorite parts of the night. The percussion boys at our school would probably be considered the "bad boy group" too. They are all precious free spirits who are full of life...and all the girls love them. They caused quite a controversy when they printed up long sleeved t-shirts for all the color guard girls. They had "Boobacious Flagettes" printed down the sleeves for all the flag girls, but several parents pitched a fit and wouldn't allow the girls to wear the shirts. My daughter never turned hers back in (kind of forgot on purpose if you know what I mean) and still wears it around the house. Be sure and let us know if you get to go to the Jazz Fest next weekend. Every year I say that I am going to go, but I have never made it. I have friends who go every year and wouldn't miss it.

Carol, I know that was a very hard thing you had to do...giving your sweet grandbaby his shots. I'm glad that you were there to comfort him and to help get it over quickly. I have no doubts that you are wonderful at your job, and I know you made it as painless as possible. I can just picture him reaching out for you after you had finished. It just shows that he knew you were only trying to help him and that he trusts you completely. What a wonderful thing being a grandmother must be...I can't wait!! Enjoy your weekend with your friend. I remember when y'all went last year. It doesn't seem like an entire year has passed already.

Jan, have a wonderful time at Rockport. I checked out the website for the place you are staying, and it looked wonderful to me. I love older, established places...and the water looked great. Will y'all do any fishing? It kind of reminded me of a fishing camp we used to go to in Cocodrie, LA.

Well, I had better get back to work. All the big bosses are away today, so I am actually getting to post during the day. I am so glad it's Friday. This has been a very long week. Krysten's boyfriend is going to have to spend the weekend with us because his mother is going to Florida. DD will be working both nights, so it will be me and Tim. We get along great and always find plenty to occupy us. The last time he was with me while she was working, he took me to Home Depot to pick up some things for some projects he wants to work on around my house. What a sweetheart!

Have a great OP weekend!

Janet (Kudzu)

WHEW! I've been copying all the wonderful tips about New Orleans! Thank you ALL!!:)

I'll have lots of info to take along when we get going!

My sis and b-i-l just left with the electric cart for Mother, I hope she loves it!! I made sure that Melissa's boy friend was here at noon, so he could help load it, it took 4 guys to get it up into the truck!...Walter is gone to Opening Day for Trout Season,. Won't be home til Monday, so had to recruit help!
Tomorrow is groundbreaking for our new Sunday School building. My committe is putting on a big BBQ celebration in it's honor... should be fun. I did the shopping, but will only be supervising from here on out.
The trunk of my car is full of soda pop for the occasion, will find someone else to unload it tomorrow.

TTYL
:wave:
~~~
Joyce

Hi All,

Well, I don't know if anyone has heard, but yesterday we were sitting at the church fair watching the Lip Sync contest and all of a sudden an announement came over the PA system....."Not only do we have God to thank for our beautiful weather this weekend, but we have just received word that little 11 year old Lisa Bruno has been found alive and well at the Bus Terminal in New Orleans!!" Well, needless to say, everyone started cheering and crying and it was very emotional. There are not alot of details yet. She still had on the same clothing that she had on two weeks ago when she was kidnapped and she had gotten off of a bus that had come from Lafayette, LA and had a ticket to Slidell (which is where she lives). She went up to the ticket window and asked what time her bus would be boarding and the ticket clerk and everyone else recognized her immediately. The headline of the paper this morning reads "Truly a Miracle" and I believe it is. Thanks for all of your prayers. They took her to a hospital for testing but from film that was shown on TV she looked unharmed, but we will know more soon. At least she is alive.

Janet - I love my "bad boys" also. If you like them playing the cadences out of the games, you should walk in a parade with them. The drummers NEVER stop. The band plays songs every few minutes, but the drummers play during the songs and in between. I love it. My husband and I have school T-shirts airbrushed on the back with "Drum MaMa" and "Drum Dad". I am really going to miss is. I've got Lake Charles Thursday and then that is it.

I hope my weigh in goes good tonight. It is getting near that TOM again. I hope I lost a little though. I really haven't gotten off program at all.

Well, I've got to get a few things done. I will be back later. Hi to everyone in the meantime.

Patti

Good morning, ladies!

Kind of been quiet in here this week-end. I hope that means everyone had wonderful weather (like I did) and were all busy doing spring "stuff"! I didn't do too much - just some shopping with dd & future s-i-l for "house items" & paint samples. She does the final walk through this afternoon and should close on the house tomorrow if all goes well. I would imagine next week-end will be spent painting, shelf-lining, etc, etc, etc.

Carol - Checked out little Gary's new pics - just darling! How was the festival? Did you buy anything fun? I usually come home from those things feeling like I have 3 left feet as there is always so much evidence of wonderful talent there - much more than I could ever hope to accomplish! Sorry you had to be the "meanie" with the allergy shots! Sounds like you both survived, though. I went to my dr. on Friday for routine blood tests. He has a new nurse and I thought she did a really good job with taking blood - I didn't even feel the "stick". Later that day when I removed the band-aid, it looked like I had gotten into a fight and lost! Even this a.m. it is still black and blue and had a small "knot" under the skin. Makes me mad.

Janet - Hey, girl, glad you checked back in with us! I miss your posts when you are AWOL. I laughed at your and Patti's description of the band percussion section. It was the same way when my dd was in band! The drum line was usually responsible for the shenanigans! :lol: My dd played the clarinet & I still have a wonderful, EXPENSIVE clarinet sitting in her old bedroom. Hasn't been touched since she dropped out of band her junior year in college. Guess maybe I should try to have it re-conditioned and sell it 0 or maybe make a lamp out of it or something! :lol: New Orleans sounds wonderful. Let me know when Carol is coming and maybe I will hop over there too (maybe I can convince Jan to accompany me & of course, Patti is already there!) What you do think? Would be too much fun!!! Yes, the wildflower engagement pics are back but dd was not happy with the make-up job she got for them. She sent a few back to the photographer and asked if he would try to darken her face - the make-up made her look like a geisha girl! I will post some when we get them back. Other than that, they came out just beautiful with all the flowers around them.

Joyce - Have your talked to your Mom since she got her cart? My Mom was telling me that she was at Home Depot the other day and was telling one of the employees how she always has to get a basket so she has something to hold on to while she walks around the store. The employee offered her the electric cart they keep in the store. Mom was too scared to try to drive it - said she would just keep her basket. :) Now you remember your promise to slow your life down and don't get sucked back into all the activities!

Guess we won't hear from Saara until all the parties are over!

Jan - We had absolutely gorgeous weather this week-end! Hope you did too. The weight routine sounds interesting but it may well be building up muscle mass which would account for the small gains. You said you could tell a difference already. In what way? Am curious if its something I could do since my back and my treadmill don't agree with each other.

Stamps - I agree with Janet's assessment of the points. You are allowed to stay within your points "spread" and if you are in the low end for a few days, you wind up with banked points which you can spend on something special. I occasionally use my banked points but it is something I don't make a practice of doing. I just make an effort to stay within the point spread. I find that if I always stay in the low end or the high end, I don't lose as well. So I kind of jump around. But as Janet said, everyone loses differently. You and your parents will find what works best for you - and it may not be the same thing!

Rebecca - Wow! 75 degrees! I am so happy you finally got some "spring"! Haven't heard from you in a few days. Hope all it still going well for you on WW. You are doing wonderfully well - don't let any little gains sidetrack you!

Better go and find something for myself to do to pass the day! I can't believe how fast Monday comes!

Hey Everybody!

Texaslady- Thanks for asking about me. :) I was gone this weekend fishing and camping. My husband and I decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and get in some fishing. I have to say that it was HOT this weekend, record breaking temps. In the 90's which is not normal ND weather. Anyway, we had a great time, I am a little sunburnt, but we got out enjoyed the weather and caught a bunch of fish! A great time!!

Not much else going on here. Just trying to get all the camping stuff put away, laundry washed and all that stuff that goes with being gone most of the weekend.

Will write more later. Just wanted to let you know that I am here...not giving up, ever. I will succeed, it may take me a while, but I will succeed!! We all will!!


Rebecca :cool:

Hi all------!

I had to report about one of the recipes I tried on 3FC. It was a cheesy vegetable soup. 1 POINT! It was addicting. I am not a veggie-lover so this is spectacular for me. My dh said "Do you realize you are eating broccoli?" It was too good to care!

You can get it on the web site or post me back & I'll post the recipe here. P.S. I don't cook either so this was also an amazing feat for my dh to see!

I am so glad to hear about the kidnapped girl. The story has not made it to Utah yet so please tell us what happened to her while she was gone & how she made it home.

Success to report---I thought I would try on an old pair of jeans when I got down to 200, then I said to myself "try them on for fun" (we all know how fun trying on clothes is) and THEY FIT! So then I tried on last year's shorts & they were TOO BIG! I hate to buy new clothes yet, but it was fun seeing the weight loss in action! This was the first time I can remember trying on a smaller size!

Good luck to all,
STAMPS

236/211/165!

Hi everyone! Hope the week's getting off to a good start for you.
The weekend seemed to be over before it started, even though I was off Friday to watch my little sweetie. I worked Saturday, went to the craft feastival Sunday morning, and then my dd and the litttle guy stopped by Sunday afternoon to pick up some stuff I had for him.
Stamps, congratulations on the 2 pound loss, and to your parents as well for their impressive totals!!I too believe that staying within the range is the way to go rather than trying to hit an exact number every day. I find that I do better in the low to mid range of my point spread, with the high end reserved for special times or hungry days. I think most people find they do btter with a little day to day variance. The soup sounds good- I'll have to search it out and see if it's similar to one I tried a while back. I LOVE veggies, and am always looking for a new recipe for them!
Patti, I'm so relieved that the child was found alive and well! Please keep us posted- not much about it here in my area. Good luck on your weigh in.
Texaslady, I hope the closing goes as planned!!! I bought one thing at the craft fair- a cute handmade outfit for you-know-who!:D It was fun- I have NO talent, and stand in awe of all you ladies who do these wonderful artistic and craft things! Sorry about the big bruise from your venipuncture- I usually tell patients to hold the arm out straight and put pressure on in for a few minutes rather than bending it like they used to say. It seems to prevent that sort of thing better. Sure is uncomfortable when it happens!!! I can't wait to see your dd's engagement pix- I hope they can make the touch ups she wants.
Janet, how's your dd feeling? Probably lousy, if the pollen count there is like it is here! Yup- being a grandma is the best- but I can understand why you are more than happy to wait a few years for that! :lol: I hope your week goes better than last did.
Rebecca, it sounds like you had a great weekend, despite your unusually high temperatures! I've never been fishing, and I must admit my idea of camping is inside a cabin with running water, indoor plumbing and maybe even air conditioning! :lol:
Have a great evening, everyone. Talk to you tomorrow.
Carol

Good Morning,

Well, I had to actually login to reply....that was weird!!

I had my first gain last night!!! A whopping .2.....I'm sure it was water though, because I have stayed OP. I'm not upset. I'm happy with the way things are going. I'll just keep on going.....till I reach the end.

The little girl that was kidnapped gave a pretty good description of the guy that had her. The news reports are also saying that there is evidence of improper behavior though. They are not going into detail. What a sicko. I hope they catch him so that he can't do that to anyone else. At least she is safe at home now and has family and a whole community that care about her.

Well, back to the grind. I hope you are all doing great and I'll talk to you later.

Patti

Just dropping in to say Hi to everyone.

Patti - What a great attitude about your tiny little gain! That's exactly what you need to be successful - and the proof is certainly there already! Good girl! I am so glad they found the little girl, but it sounds like she didn't escape unscathed - what creeps there are in this world! Makes me want to gag.

Stamps - I saw the receipe you used and would love to try it but I have a dairy problem. :( As much as I love cheese, I sure don't like what it does to my system so I eat very little of it! Once in a while I cave in and have some but I am sure that delicious sounding soup would cause me a few problems! :) Oh well, life goes on. I could be allergic to chocolate! Now THAT would be a real problem.............. :lol:

Carol - I still have a huge bruise on my arm - tho now it is turning yellow, too! And there's still a knot under the skin. However, the dr. called to say all the blood tests were fine so I guess its a small price to pay. DD is trying to close today - there have been some problems. The biggest problem is that the owner hasn't moved her stuff out yet! They are going to go ahead and close if her agent shows up with the house keys. Then they are immediately having the locks re-keyed tonight after the paperwork has been signed. DD told the owner she would just have to come this week-end to get her stuff out since she didn't do it when she was supposed to - like BEFORE the closing! They were actually upset when they found out dd was changing the locks tonight! Makes me wonder what they thought a closing was all about???

Gotta go - Hi to everyone. Keep on keeping on!

Texaslady, it sure sounds like the sellers of dd's house don't have both oars in the water!!!! :dizzy: They'll be lucky if your dd and her dhtb don't charge her storage fees!:lol:
Carol

Stamps, congrats on your 2 lb. loss, and especially on fitting into those smaller clothes & jeans! What fun!

Carol, I was wondering what you'd get at the Sugarloaf festival, and had predicted it would be something for Gary, just like you did in Mexico! I'm sure he'll look terrific in it, just like in his little Easter suit. (Does Sugarloaf have a ski area too? I seem to remember skiing at a Sugarloaf-something when we lived in Mass.)

Patti, y'all walk ten miles in those Mardi Gras parades?! Wow .. that must be worth lots of points! Hope you get to go to the jazz fest next weekend. DH and I once went to a music fest. in Baton Rouge, but while they were all setting up it started to rain, and they cancelled. Ever since, have been wanting to try again. Louisiana just has the *best* music!!

JOYce, how did your Mother like her cart? Glad to hear you're letting others do some of the work at church; don't forget your promise to yourself, now!! How did the grand opening go?

Rebecca, how wonderful that you and your dh both like fishing and camping! Sounds like you're really good at it, too, like Joyce's dh. How did you cook your fish? I can never catch them, but my dh and his uncles sure do. They like to go floundering at night, with sticks or something. Sounds like good exercise, as you have to walk through waist-deep water for hours!

Janet, thanks, the water really was lovely, though we didn't get to fish; a bit windy, so fish weren't biting. But we took long walks down the beach, had boiled shrimp (yep, Patti, we use Zatarain crab boil!) and fed the seagulls. Also did a little shopping, got a summer sweater, two shirts (size s! a first) :) and some shorts.

Texaslady, glad your blood tests were ok! Re: the weights, I can feel the muscles (still under the bat wings, unfortunately!) and I notice that I don't get as fatigued carrying computers or groceries, or closing the hatch on the van, which used to take two hands. Re: meeting in New Orleans, yes indeedy, I'm always ready for a trip, and that's one of our favorite places! But the timing might not work out for us, since I'll probably be having surgery this summer, and have a few workshops on the calendar already. Let's see how it goes, though!

Saara, how did the Memorial Day parties go?

Hi to Liz, Nancy, Nancy in TC, and Kendra; hope you'll stop by and say hello!
Regards,
Jan

Morning, everyone.

Carol - :lol: But I think you are right about the previous house owners - note I said "previous". Yep, despite a lot of last minute set-backs, dd & fiance signed the papers last night. So they are officially homeowners. The woman never did move her stuff out, but has now made arrangements with dd to come get it on Saturday. They changed the locks immediately after closing last night, so previous owner no longer has access to the house.

Jan - Glad you had such a wonderful time on your mini trip! I wasn't thinking of a New Orleans trip this summer - maybe a little later. I know we would have to work around everyone's schedules. Perhaps next spring sometime? Before or after Mardi Gras maybe. I don't know. It just seemed like a fun idea. Of course, from about now on until after the wedding in October, I am not going to have a lot of spare time either. Once the kids get moved into the new house in June, we have to start on all the centerpieces and other crafted stuff so we can finish it up and maybe I will be able to make Homecoming Mums this fall. It all depends on when Homecoming is set for this year - I sincerely hope it isn't the end of Oct., but it could be. Won't know for a few months yet.

Hi to all. Can't stay too long right now. Will try to get back in later.

Hey Everyone!

Carol- Usually I have no problem camping, and I stress the word usually. But last weekend the winds were gusting to about 40 miles an hour all night long. Needless to say, I got about an hour of sleep in the front seat of our PICKUP! But the next morning, after we fished for a little bit, we drove 15 miles to the nearest town and rented a motel room with air conditioning, beds, shower, all the stuff I needed! :D Then I was a happy "camper".

Jan- Actually my husband really introduced me to fishing about 5 years ago. I had fished before, but not like we do now. All the time! We usually bake it with breadcrumbs or I have a good recipe with lemon juice, dill, onions and a little butter. Really good. Just mix all together, add the fish and cook on the stovetop. Very yummy!

Okay, this week was a LOT better than last week. I lost 2.7! Yeah, Hooray! I felt so much better after that! Plus I bought a new pair of shorts (a size smaller :D) and today I tucked my shirt in and didn't feel too bad about that. Wow, look at all these new accomplishments.

Yesterday I started a journal with all the reasons I want to lose weight. It is so much fun to see why I am doing what I am doing and it will be helpful to look back on when I get discouraged.

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

Rebecca :cool:

Rebecca, wow, 2.7! That's great! Looks like we're about to reach two pages, so will start another thread ...