Weight Watchers - To 200 in 2001 as of 08/22/01

Howdy all!

This is a group of friendlies enroute to a healthy lifestyle. Join us as we make the journey.

HI, EVERYONE

I'M NEW BUT HAVE BEEN DOING WW SINCE JULY 25TH. I HAVE LOST 15LBS AND WILL LOSE 85LBS MORE. MY GOAL IS LOSE 26 LBS BY DEC 19TH - I WILL BE 41YRS. I'M A MOTHER OF 4 GIRLS (3 ARE TEENAGERS)

HOPE EVERYONE IS AS MOTIVATED BY THIS SITE AS I AM.
PEG

happy wednesday everyone ,

Welcome peg . You're off to a great start . Wow three teenagers , makes me tired thinking about it . I have 2 grown sons & 4 grandkids , & I'm turning 40 on friday (yep , I started young) My boys started way too young as well .

Well , I wasn't going to start my new meeting this week , because I had a horrible week & knew I would gain + I was going from a morning meeting to a pm meeting . I figured i'd go to the drop in on friday & then start next monday . But , I decided to go on this monday anyway . I was feeling sad & knew it'd make me feel better . It had only been 9 days since weigh in & I hadn't been bad the whole time . Guess how much I gained ? 13+ pounds !!!:mad: I figured going from am to pm would be an automatic 3 pounds but not 13 pounds :?: . The leader is the same one from my old meeting . She was pleased to see me , but surprised , as I hadn't told her I was switching . I had never gone to my hometown meeting , I have always gone to the saturday one in a much bigger town . I figured I wouldn't know anyone . My sons best friends mom was there . We had never met , but recognized each other . We laughed about our sons childhoods , as they'd been friends since middleschool . It was nice . The leader introduced me & said a bunch of very nice things about me . My son went to the courthouse to file restraining orders , so the kids' mom couldn't take them . The clerk told my son that he has no rights since he hasn't established parentage . She could take them anytime she wants . I got a pile of more legal papers to fill out . I hope they are the right ones . I'm starting to feel like a really bad legal secretary :lol: .

Well gotta go . I sure hope my blabbering didn't bore anyone . It helps me though . Ta Ta . Kathy

Hey ladies,

Dora that was a pretty dirty trick starting a new thread but not stopping to say "hi". Get back in here and tell us how you are doing!

Peg, welcome, welcome, welcome! You sure are doing fabulous, I'm jealous! I started around the same time as you and I've only lost 7 pounds although I must admit I've been very distracted about the whole thing. I also haven't been exercising. (Raise your right hand)...I promise to exercise at least 20 minutes every day starting tomorrow. Amen.

Kathleen, don't get discouraged about the weight gain. I lost nearly 40 pounds last year and gained it all back plus 19 pounds more. That's really frustrating! It's hard to keep going sometimes but I'm determined not to give up and I know you haven't either. I wish your son luck on that custody thing. Sometimes things work out the way the should, don't lose hope. You know you're doing everything you can to help him.

Gizzi, Lauren, Marie, and everyone else. Thanks for the advice about my pudgy three year old. We would NEVER discuss it in front of any of the kids. My kids know I'm trying to lose weight but they know that losing weight comes from eating the right things. I know they will never have the same problems as me. They are still young enough so that I can control most of what they eat right now. They all love to play outside and get plenty of exercise.

I'll catch up with you guys later.

Ruby

Howdy all!

Peek-a-boo, Ruby! It's so nice to be missed. :smug:

I've been in a bit of a hurry lately. Got a Pampered Chef party coming up and then my dad ends up having surgery on his salivary gland of all things. It was a really nasty infection and who knows what else. His doctor even sent a sample to the CDC:eek: ! He's a two hour drive away, but doesn't want his kids to "waste their time" coming to see him. What!? I should wait til he's dying to visit? Anyhow, he seems to be in good spirits -a critical factor since he's a severely depressed guy and not terribly healthy from a lifetime of smoking. Add to all this a surprise drama workshop this weekend and the usual aspects of life and then POOF! my letter-writing time is gone. :D

Kathy -what in tarnation does one have to do to "establish parentage"? Is he on the birth certificate and is he listed as the parent to contact at school? I am totally confused. Thought we were considered parents by virtue of contributing to the gene pool.:dizzy:
I am NOT buying into that 13# found! I agree with the possible 3 and the one time I did WI at night I had a 6# water gain. So, unless you drank a gallon, ate Chinese all week, wore combat boots and a wet suit under your clothes, the difference has to be their scales. Must be calibrated differently. You know how to work the program. (wish I could stay on it for an entire week!:o

Peg -many welcome aboards!:D Wish I could say I'd lost 15# this summer. Or stayed even. Or not gained 16#. Only meself to blame. You are doing great. And 26 total by Dec. ? Totally doable. You go!

Kathy -Hippo Birdee, Two Ewe!! The big 4-oh! That makes you an adult, I think! So, what changes have you noticed since, say, 30?

Gotta run, gals. My house is a disaster (same bat time, same bat channel...) and I am trying to do a small bit while remembering who else to add to my guest list. And I really should use the edger on my yard, but who will care about that? My hubby has had several VERY interesting phone calls this week. Hopefully he will have some firm employment offers soonest!

How is everyone doing this Thursday evening. I am pretty good (except that I just binged a bit) and I did get my exercise in this morning before going to work. I had a great WI this week. I was down 5#. :smug: I was so excited. I gained 1 last week, and since I started I had been doing quite well. I really think I should have had a loss last week and that it was water weight and my dinner before the meeting. Then I would say that I also lost this week. It makes me feel better knowing I am not dropping it too fast if I rationalize it that way. Either way, the weight is off and it feels great.

I agree with the comment on needing to taste the sweet stuff. Now if I could only do that when I'm out or bringing it into the house. I think that would help me. I know I don't NEED it but I sure would love to taste it. Then the problem becomes that in addition to tasting it, I want to eat more of it...and I do.

I hate to run so fast, but I need to go and make a few phone calls. I hope to chat more later.

:) Melissa

Hey all ,

Yep Dora , I am indeed an adult , & according to my mom i've been one a long long .....time . About a week ago my grandson said my mom was going to bake me a cake . Mind you she has baked me only 1 or 2 cakes in 20 years . So I said , "Mom , Christopher said you're baking me a homemade birthday cake ". She said , " he did ? I don't remember saying that". I said , "yeah , he said you were baking me a carrot cake ". I added the last part , cause carrot cake is my fav.:lol: My grandson is a little tease at times , but this time it worked to my advantage . My mom said she doesn't bake me a cake because i've been an adult a long long... time . I told her " Vicki is 51 & her mom has made her a marachino cake every year since she was 5 ":devil: My sister figured maybe Vicki's mom might adopt us . My mom never did bake much . Her batches of cookie dough never made very many cookies . Then I started making the cookies & got twice as many . She has been known to buy cookie dough from subway , just to eat the dough . I'm sure that's not on the subway diet :lol: .

Ruby , you're right about not giving up . I've been going 2 years & have essencially been playing with the same 10 pounds for the last year . But I get so much out of the meetings & i'm 100 pounds healthier than 2 years ago .

Melissa , Good for you ! I'll bet you did actually gain a pound or 2 of water weight last week & actually lost weight . I hate it when I expect a loss & actually gain . But you caught up this week , big time .

Dora I think you & I are on the same diet plane . Too much going on & we know one way to nurture ourselves . I've got 2 packettes of papers about 50 pages thick (for each kid) to hoprfully establish parentage . I guess parentage doesn't have that much to do with DNA in Washington . They'll even charge ex-boyfriends(non father) with child support , if they lived with a mother a certain amount of time . Chris' ex has decided she doesn't like the father of her unborn baby anymore so she tried to claim Chris was the father . She had an ultrasound & is 6 mo. along . She said it was conceived on Easter (I usually celebrate differently) . Do the math , honey , Easter was 4 1/2 months ago . She told Chris she'd rather it be his . Here we have her kids & she wants this one to be his , too . She apparently has no idea that she can take them if she wants . She said she is going to California in a few days to see her mom . Maybe she'll stay .:p

Well enough of that . Hoppy friday . I'm going shopping cause it's my birthday ! Walmart here I come . kathy

Kathy, happy birthday! And a HUGE congratulations on keeping off 100 pounds. What an accomplishment! Sometimes we need to take some "time off" to maintain for a while (which usually means gaining and losing the same few pounds) before we're ready to start going again. And I actually hear that's healthier. A lot of doctors recommend taking a year off after you lose 50 pounds. The trick is to keep maintaining (rather than gain it all back) -- and then start losing again. I think I'm finally ready to start losing again, after a year and a half of noodling around.

And I agree -- no way did you gain 13 pounds in a week. I don't think that's possible. Maybe you were carrying a bowling ball and didn't know it? :)

Melissa -- woo-hoo, 5 pounds! Way to go! That's a great example of why an occasional gain shouldn't get us down. The scale just isn't a very reliable barometer on a weekly basis. It's the long term that shows the proof. You're doing so great!

Dora, great to hear from you, as always. An infected salivary gland??? Yikes! How does that happen? I'm sending good thoughts and prayers your dad's way (and for a job for your DH).

I got in 4.5 hours of exercise this week already, so I can take the weekend off -- hooray. I'm going to work up to 5 hours. It really makes a difference in my energy and stress levels. I'm holding water, though -- TOM still hasn't arrived! Argh.

TGIF, everyone, and have a great and HEALTHY weekend. You can do it, and you deserve it.

--Lauren

Hey all ,

Lauren , You are the exercising Queen ! Keep adding to your daily time & you may not have to worry about your T.O.M . Wouldn't that be nice ? I was doing well with my walking until last weeks rain . I had hoped the planters faciaitis would improve with not walking , but no . This weekend has been beautiful , as this week is supposed to be , so I should be able to get walking in . I didn't get to walk during the weekend , as I have the grandkids (dad was at work) . I did mow the lawn , & do some gardening . That was a goodly amount of exercise .

I let the excuse of my birthday seriously derail me & I kind of went on from there . Today was okay & I imagine tomorrow will be too . Hopefully tomorrow nights weigh in won't be too bad .

I noticed that everyone is awol this weekend . I hope you all have been having fun . Dora how is your dad ? Any news on hubby's job prospects ?

I braved it to Trader Joes with the kids , today (I love T.J's). That was a 45 minute drive to get there , which didn't worry me . I'm getting my mommy brain back (travel supplies) . If you enter the city that T.J's is in from a certain direction you get a veiw of the water . Christopher wanted to see the water , so I zig zagged down to it . I hadn't ever been to that paticular area before , & it was neat . We didn't go back the way we came & got all turned around . When that happened when my kids were little , i'd say we weren't lost , we were adventuring . I had really missed that . It's funny the things you miss when your kids grow up . Just grabbing toys , food & drinks & taking off . I'm getting a little taste of that back right now , & loving it . Of course there is the fighting ....

Ta TA . Kathy

Hi everyone , all 2 of us .

Good news , I lost 5.8 of the 13 pounds they said I gained . i doubt if I really lost this week , what with the extra festivities , & may have actually gained . I suspect it was all water , I'm happy non-the-less .

Nothing else new to say . I have to go back to work after a 5 day weekend tomorrow . It will probably be more restful:lol: .

Kathy

Kathy, I knew you couldn't really have gained 13 pounds all at once like that. Good for you taking off half of it already! :)

The group sure has gotten quiet. I figure it's just end-of-summer break and starting back to school. I bet people will come back again after Labor Day.

I'm up a bit this week on my home scales; I'll weigh in tonight at WW for the official number. But I'm in the throes of TOM, so that's to be expected. And I've had a great week program-wise, so I'm not concerned about a small gain.

I'm 99 percent sure I'll be laid off this Friday. It's what I've wanted, and I sure won't miss what this company has become, but I will miss some of the great people who remain there. (Our office has already been reduced by maybe 75 percent since January, so many great people are already gone.) I'm looking forward to having my two favorite months of the year off!

Hope everyone is doing well. Don't forget about us!

--Lauren
279/216.5/199 by Christmas (home scales in the morning)

Howdy all two of you!!:p

I skipped out on WI to attend a drama workshop. It was great fun learning how to create skits from a "slice of life". In one scenario, several folks (youth, mainly) onstage were assigned to be publishers/editors of a magazine and had to answer audience questions as if we were that person. I was "Cooking" magazine. It was wonderful, dahling!

Kathy - I believe that maybe you had a 5.8# loss for whatever reason. And that's a fabulous week. Way to go!

Lauren -Great attitude. What a relief it will be to get out of that place, huh?! Leaves more time for you to stop and smell the falling leaves.

Hubby is still hoping for employment. Heard him call and talk to a lady about a position in Hauppauge, NY. The fact that he even made the call says something. At least it is with a firm that has an Austin division. Maybe he thinks it could work into getting transferred back someday. The word here is about who's laying off today...:(

Meantime, my Pampered Chef party is tomorrow. I feel a bit of a heel, in that it'sa light menu. Not like I've been "light" in months. Oh well, they are always great fun. Off I go to look at real estate in NY (ack!) and bake lite peach pie.

Y'all be good!

Hello ladies, I just wanted to say hello and that this has been a crazy week. I don't want to bore you with all the details, but I;m exhausted. I have a few days off from work now which I hope to use productively and I also want to use them to relax. I had WI last night and I was down .5# That is better than being up. I know this coming week is going to be very difficult but I'll take it a day at a time. Well, I will reply to all later b/c I can only make a quick stop here right now. I hope everyone has a good day!

:) Melissa

Good for you, Melissa! A half a pound in the right direction is nothing to sneeze at.

Dora, thanks for the well wishes. We're continuing to pray for your DH's situation as well. I am indeed getting laid off tomorrow (got the official word), so there we go. I also just had lunch with a bunch of guys I'd love to work with, and they want me to come work with them -- but they're a start-up with no business yet. I'm going to do what I can to help out until they get business -- or until I have to find a paying job. But I told them I want to take some time off first. We'll see how that goes.

This will be my company's 10th layoff this year (in 2001). We're up to having one every two weeks now. Sheesh. I'm just glad I'm getting out while there's still severance.

I was up a bit more than a pound and a half on WW's scales, which is fine because it's TOM and water weight. It'll be gone soon.

The meeting was great. Our leader stood up there with a calendar and asked "When is a good time to lose weight?" We then went through the calendar month by month and found a million reasons why each month wasn't a good one to lose weight. Holidays, parties, events ... the moral of that lesson is that there's no "good" time to lose weight. You just have to do it anyway and work around the obstacles. A good reminder.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
279/219.8/199 by Christmas (WW numbers)

Hurray! I've been working on an attitude readjustment & it finally paid off at the scales. I lost 3 lbs. this week. In spite of my brother's birthday party last Saturday! Of course, the fact that I rode my bike to work twice this week & went mall walking once probably helped too.:smug:

I can't believe all the posts since I checked in last time. We're almost sounding like One Life to Live (an older, more rounded version, that is:) )

Kathy, you have no idea how much I appreciate the paperwork you're going through. My husband is guardian on his mother who's on government assistance & it's one headache after another!

Onward & downward...

Liz

Howdy Howdy all!!

Melissa -way to go on dropping that 1/2! You'll be at that goal in no time!

Lauren -Congratulations on losing that major headache. How fun to help a start-up. Sounds truly exciting. And many thanks for the prayers. DH had a call about a position in Sioux City -as in IOWA and another possibility in Boston. Exciting thing is he has a phone interview scheduled on Tuesday with a company he was interested in waaaaaaaaaay back when this first started. We'll see.

Gizzi -:):D Happy dance for you and all your hard work. Wish I could ride to work -only 4 miles, but way too dangerous. Way to work it.

My Pampered Chef party is over. Due to floods of rain, it was a small turnout, which suited me just fine. I did try the idea here of crackers with Neufchatel, horseradish, and apricot preserves. Yum! But I used much, much less horseradish and preserves. The plate would have been just swimming. It reminded me of a creamy sweet-n-sour plum sauce-red sauce. Sounds bizarre, but I liked it. (got loads left over, too);)
The Texas take on that appetizer would be the Neufchatel covered in jalapeno jelly. Same idea of sweet-n-spicy and the bright green jelly looks pretty cool.

Time for beddy-bye. Maybe I'll find time for a walk tomorrow. Gotta start over soon.

Dora, I'm glad you liked the neufchatel with preserves and horseradish. It *does* swim a bit when you put all the stuff on, but not too much (if you just use the little jars). I've rarely had much left over, though. So long as I don't tell people what's in it! I'll bet it would be awesome with the jalapeno jelly.

Gizzi (somehow I can't think of you as "Liz," but I'll work on it), woo-hoo on those 3 pounds -- and on riding the bicycle! Good job. It's those attitude adjustments that really make the difference, I'm finding. You're doing so well.

I've worked out five hours this week, and I'm finding it's really helping with the stress. The layoff was today, and while I'm glad to finally be rid of that awful company, I'll miss some of the great people I worked with .... and I'm forcing myself not to worry about money. A group of us (12 were laid off today) are going to the unemployment office next week together. We'll make it a bit of a party.

But hey, I'm staying within my points. Miracles do happen.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

--Lauren

Wow , you guys ,

Melissa I agree with you , I'll take a .5 loss over a gain anyday . It all adds up .

Lauren , next week you'll have a major loss , i'm sure . I bet you're having a very emotional time . A few years ago people got laid off where I work . I was actually called rif . My best friend was one . I got to stay as I had senority . She went to another option & eventually came back , but we stayed close through it all . It was tough though . It would be real easy to say to heck with it & blow it .

Dora , it sounds like you're doing well considering your potential move . Drama , I think you were meant for it . I'm having a home & garden book party . I had a party at home before , but didn't want to do that this time . I like to spread neuf. cheese & honey mustard in a tortilla , top with fat free lunch meat & sprouts , roll up & slice . I've done this for lots of parties .

Gizzi , good job on the loss & new positive outlook . It's hard work to stay positive , isn't it ?

Since I switched to mondays I don't have a meeting next week . Ta Ta Kathy

Howdy all!
My, we're a cheerful bunch here! Little rays of sunshine!:D

So, I won't be *****ing about WI at 7.6 more after two weeks. And every ounce well earned, not "water weight". I am buckling down a making a go of it again. Got to stop those old habits that are re-surfacing. Anybody else have to eat while reading the paper? :^:

Lauren - you are a champion! Way to live thru that mess and come out swinging! I love the "unemployment party"! Maybe a good time to get everyone's phone number for support and references. Money certainly is an object, but somehow we've managed very well these past months. The math doesn't work, but God is faithful.

My dad is back home after 6 days hospitalized.:eek:It appears he has a wisdom tooth still under the gum that is showing decay and may have caused this mess. While not delighted to have yet another surgery, at least losing that tooth will keep another infection away. (I sincerely hope) Maybe I can make up a Tooth Fairy package. What would y'all put under the pillow for a 68 year old man?:p

Kathy - Your tortilla roll-up makes me think of all sorts of Neuf-combos that would be yummy. Here a common one is tortilla, Neuf, salsa, chopped black olives, roll-n-slice. The grocery carries super-sized )and I mean HUGE) flavored tortillas expressly for this purpose. Spinach tortilla, anyone?

Anybody else heard of "wrapped pickles"? I love these things. Take a deli slice of ham, pat it dry. spread with Neuf, then wrap it around a whole pickle (patted dry, too) refrigerate til firm, then slice with a sharp knife. Very pretty and quite addictive. A friend does it with roast beef, Neuf, horseradish and pickle. Sounds yummy!

Mel -If you want to relax productively, come on down and do my yardwork!! After months of burning hot, we got about 6 inches of rain last week!! (most of it in less than 3 hours time!!) Now I live in a jungle that seriously needs mowing and edging. We discovered that our house has some flood issues and need to put in at least one french drain and rip out a landscape bed. Some folks do stupid things to their houses.Grrr.

Anyhow, Happy Labor Day!! Since my job is retail, I'm going to work. Probably not all day, though. On the 4th of July, my boss and I sat and looked at each other for a few hours before he sent me home. Hopefully we'll get lots of lookers today. To see what we sell, visit www.homeplacestructures.com

Ta ta!

Hey all ,

Dora , I can certainly sympathise with you . For some reason i've taken advantage of not having weigh in this week & pigged out . As if it won't catch up with me . Has anyone else tryed the new microwave kettle corn ? The one I got has sucralose (Splenda) instead of sugar . I'd tell you the points , if i'd actually bothered to figure it out . I hearby pledge to be a good influence on others & more conscientious about healthful living :o , Amen .

It seems that perhaps we should retitle this group . This is a group of people on a similar quest to improve their health & live on a humbler budget (i'm just kidding) . Has the coincidence hit anyone else ? Most of us in this group have gone through unusual changes in their lives that ultimately affect our pocketbook ? I've got my grandchildren , Lauren's job layoff , Dora's husbands job (& related issues) , etc....I know there are more of us . Dora I sure hope your dad recovers quickly . I know if that had happened to my dad , while he was still with us , he would get a kick out of a tooth fairy kit . Reading material , an icepack , popsickles , a funny card under his pillow with quarters in it ......

Lauren has it hit you yet ? Are you going to go job hunting right away ? You should take advantage of it , if you can afford it . Take classes , travel , do crafts you haven't had time for , that's what i'd do . Of course I don't know what's on your list .

Happy labor day . Kathy

Howdy, everyone.

Dora, why don't you give your dad caramels? :lol: He'd have to have quite a sense of humor for that one. I'm glad to hear the money is working out for your family; it's a good reminder. God is inded faithful.

Kathleen, you're right; I need to use this time to do something creative. This week we've got company, but after the weekend I plan to catch my breath and start thinking about what's next. I applied for unemployment today -- what a fiasco! I still have one more office I have to go to, too. They don't make it easy here in Michigan.

I'm down 2.4 pounds this week. That's nice, but it's not as big as it sounds; I gained 1.8 last week with TOM. So I'm really down slightly less than a pound. Whatever; I'll take it. I FINALLY lost the weight I gained after my vacation last May! So I'm a pound from virgin fat territory.

I worked out 5 hours this past week and banked 18 points (basically used all my regular points but not my exercise points).

The exercise is really starting to show in my measurements, though. And today, I went to Kohl's and on a whim tried on a size XL jacket (not in the plus size department). It fit beautifully!! I didn't buy it since I need to watch our spending, but it sure felt good! Last week I bought two pairs of pants in a size 18W. They were tight, but I plan to wear them on vacation so I'll remember to eat moderately. It feels so good to finally be able to walk into the Misses section and try something on and see it fit!! To go from a size 30 to a size 18 is just a wonderful feeling and VERY motivating.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
279/217.4/199 by Christmas (WW numbers)

Howdy gals!

Lauren - I must say that your tale is motivating. I can't wait to get down to a size 18. I have been in a 30 top and I will be so happy when I get down to an 18. Uh, being able to walk into a Misses dept and being able t try anything on without looking ridiculous. Those will be the days.

I must say I am on my way tho. I am down 5# this week and that is very exciting. Again, I have no idea how I did overall during the week until weigh in. But at least it was good.

Have a good night all!
:) Melissa

Howdy all,

Lauren- you are quite inspiring, dahling! Isn't it a bit wierd to be in the Misses dept instead of the "WOMEN'S WORLD"? Sometimes I look around at the size of the other ladies, just to check.

Course, right now my shorts are all too tight, so I need to continue buckling down. Got in a bit more exercise this week and spent more time trying to catch myself in the act of sabotage.

oops, gotta go

Hey all ,

It's saturday in Buckley Washington & it's quiet in my house . It could be heaven . My son is with his girlfriend , & the kids are at their moms for the weekend . That does worry me . They were happy to see her , it had been 1 day shy of 3 months . I don't trust her at all .

I have been so stressed , & all i've done is snack . I'm really getting to hate myself . Plus my foot is still bothering me alot so I haven't walked in the evening in over a week .

Lauren , You are doing so great . 5 hours of exercise is terrific ! A little time off of work probably sounds wonderful to you , huh ? Do you have a time frame of when you need to have a new job ? I like my job , but it's scarey how dependant I am on it . I don't have hardly anything in savings to fall back on , etc...

Dora you have a great attitude , I hope it rubs off .

I did fix the tub drain & bathroom sink drain . Ick... The sink drain had a pair of earrings , a q-tip , & a razor head stuck in there . These were beyond the p-trap . Thank god invented wire hangers . Now that i've grossed you all out , i'll go read .

Kathy

howdy all,

Back again!:D

Kathy, kathy, kathy.. dint you know that disposable razors go in the trashcan? :nono: Hehe. My hubby just did both sink drains. He didn't happen to keep a list, though.:dizzy:

So much for intentions, I've pretty well blown thru points for yesterday and today. But did get some yardwork in. And tomorrow is our 19th wedding anniversary. Don't know yet if we'll go out or sit at home and look at each other adoringly...

I hear you on the snacking issue. Went to the store "for a few things" and came back with a cart of JUNK! Ergh. And my dd promised her class she would bring some homemade caramel corn for snack soon. That's another of those "best of intentions" kind of projects. I'm OK til I taste the first bite...

Kathy - I like your theory about our income vs eating status hereabouts.

Lauren - you still out there or too busy celebratingthe demise of the JOB?

Speaking of job,I just watched American Beauty where Kevin Spacey negotiates the end of his employment. What an interesting movie! I might just have to watch it again. But in no way, shape or form did I understand that show, Crouching Tiger, hiding Dragon. Or something like that. Took me way too long to realize that the girl was actually the major character. I think. Whatever.

Mel - You'll be in those 18s in no time. I was very surprised to get into some 16s at 190. (ok, those are the ones that are uncomfortable now...) That exercise really tightens things up.

I'm hoping for alot of activity in DH job search this week. Had a discussion about getting him a job flipping burgers soon. At least he could work at a retail computer store at night and weekends. Then he'd be available for interviews during the day. We'll see. Now he's pondering starting his own contracting work. That could be wonderful or could open a whole nuther can of worms. Looking for the Lord's direction there.

Y'all be good. I'm not!:devil:

Howdy, everyone. I'm petting the cat and listening to the rain pour down outside, bringing us some badly needed water and -- best of all -- a nice cool front after a steamy weekend.

I had company here this weekend -- a dear friend from Philly -- and let's just say I'm VERY glad I banked a lot of points earlier in the week! We went out for Sunday brunch today. I wore my size 18 jeans to help keep myself in line, and I literally had only one or two bites of everything. But still, if my calculations are correct, I packed away an awesome 26 points in a single meal!! Needless to say, I had a light dinner. I've been slightly over points the past three days, so no idea what the scales will show. Using banked points doesn't tend to work all that well for me.

Kathy and Dora, I'm plugging for you both and hoping the stress eating will come under control soon. I know you'll both feel so much better if you turn this around sooner rather than later. (If not now, then when?)

Kathy, PLEASE don't hate yourself. It's so pointless and self-destructive. It never helps. Talk nice to yourself, even when -- ESPECIALLY when -- you let yourself down. That's when you need tough love, not self loathing. I guarantee: self loathing will just lead to more self-destructive behavior and out-of-control eating. They go together.

Instead, make a list of all the things that are good about you. Look in the mirror and tell yourself good things about yourself. Focus on one behavior -- say, drinking 6 glasses of water -- and do that today. Ignore all the rest; just don't worry about it. Then congratulate the heck out of yourself at the end of the day.

Sorry if this sounds like preaching. I just feel so bad when I see that old viscious cycle starting up in someone I consider a friend.

Well, gotta go to a job-hunting seminar tomorrow and Tuesday. My ex-company is paying for it, and I've heard it's pretty good.

Have a good week, everybody.

--Lauren

Hello, everyone. I'm thinking of you and hoping nobody had loved ones in the nightmare that happened yesterday. I'm continuing to pray for anyone who might still be trapped alive in the rubble and for all the loved ones left behind by those who died.

I didn't go to my WW meeting last night. Everything around here was pretty much closed, so I figured there probably wasn't a meeting. I have a concert to go to tonight, so I'll go to a meeting tomorrow night.

I weighed in this morning, and I'm down another 2 pounds on my home scale -- 212.5. I suspect the WW scales won't show that loss tomorrow since I'll be wearing heavier clothing now that the weather is colder (I found out that my jeans alone weigh 2 pounds!), and also I'll have had sushi for lunch -- lots of salt. That's OK; I'm still very encouraged. Banked another 18 points, and worked out 5 hours. I think I've found my niche.

Yes, our weight-loss efforts seem insignificant in light of what's happened, but taking care of ourselves is never insignificant. Be good to each other, everyone.

Onward and downward,

Lauren
274/212.5/199 by Christmas (home scale, a.m.)

Howdy all!

Lauren - thanks for all the kind words. You always know just what to say. If not now, then when?

I came home from a very long, hectic day. Missed church (and the church dinner with those 5 point cookies that call my name) and decided to just take a short walk around the neighborhood. That felt good. All week I've turned off the alarm clock and not had that great morning walkabout. Wish I knew how to turn that into a gung-ho attitude like I had last year. it's even nice and cool now that we've had our floods.

Way to go in advance for the weight drop!:D:D 5 hours of work -works!! yeah, Lauren!

Hi Kathy, watcha doin?

The world around us is chaos and I truly hope that all are well. My father works in the city, but not near the trade centers anymore so that is nice. He came home and I've been watching lots of tv. I've also been munching. But, I did go to my meeting tonight and I was very happy to find out that I lost another 3. Very exiting. It is hard to celebrate in times like these, but I find that even a short lived smile is a nice thing.

Take care to all!!!!
:) Melissa

Hi everybody ,

I , too , hope no-one here has any loved ones directly touched by the tragedy . There aren't any right words . Yesterday I was in disbelief , today the enormity has started to hit me . Melissa , how far is New Jersey from Manhatten ? My dad was stationed in Washington D.C. during the Watergate era , but we actually lived in Dale City , Virginia , which was considered part of Woodbridge , Virginia . I guess now it's considered seperate . Later I lived in Delaware & Maryland , but never really made it into New York . So I don't really understand the different boundries . You also have burroughs , don't you ? Isn't that like districts ? Or am I wrong ?

I'm worried about my son Anthony who's in the Army , in Korea :cry: . I believe most military personel are on alert , so I won't hear from him . I just hate not knowing . My younger son says they probably won't move the guys in Korea , because there's still unrest there . That didn't make me feel warm & cozey , either . And believe me I know the ultimate purpose of a soldier , I grew up in it . A mom has to be a mom . It wouldn't be any better if he was at Fort Lewis , here . They are all at full alert & the jets are all ready to go . My younger son has always wanted to go into the service & has taken the asfab twice , & passed . he didn't get to go in because of his unpaid fines . He has them paid & thinks he can go in , now . I told him he can't because he's the custodial parent . What is it with guys & their testosterone ? He & his friends want to go in together & protect our country , which makes me proud . But , one son in the military is enough , especially when they both have two children .

I did take my grandson to the fair . he had never been to a fair . I had a lot of fun , he was so enthusiastic about everything :lol: . You should have seen his face when he pointed to the big yo yo in the sky & realized there were two people in it . It was probably my favorite day of the whole summer , despite the tragedy .

Dora I really enjoyed talking to you . Afterwards I felt like I monopolised the whole conversation . I'm not always so self centered .

Have a great day . Kathy

I'm starting a new thread...