20-Somethings - *** Weekly Chat :::: Nov 13 - Nov 19 ***

Hey everyone! For those of you who don't know me, since I've been in and out of these parts the past few months. I'm the moderator of 20-somethings. If you need anything let me know.

For those of you that do know me.... I miss you guys! :spid:

On another note, my new treadmill is getting delivered today while I'm at work. I get to come home to a nice present to test out before i actually purchase it. I'm so excited!

Down another pound... if I do really well this week, maybe I can hit my Thanksiving goal next weigh-in! It's exciting to think that a month and a half ago I was feeling so depressed about my weight, and now to have the very real possibility of going past my goal.. it's fun!

Boyfriend got me a dieter's cookbook that has lots of yummy-looking recipes. Some of them are stuff we'd both like, and some more are things that I can make, portion out, and then freeze for myself. :) Food makes Fae happy.

Gah, the weather looks icky today, and I'm working a super-long shift (1-10) so there really isn't a possibility of workout out... ahh, the joys of working on my feet. *sighs*

Happy Monday, ladies!

trns - Don't abandon me! *clings* Hehe. And have fun with the treadmill. If I had the money (and the room!) I would so get one. Let us know how it goes!

trnsfrmnreplace: Good to know, and nice to meet you!

fae: Good for you on the loss! What is the name of the book?

Well, I'm about to shoot off to work, on foot, in 8ft of snow, uphill both ways... You know how it is haha. But it's so windy out that I can actually hear the wind whistling in my doorway, and we have weather stripping! I guess I've really got being Canadian cut out for me, eh? Amanda knows how I feel! Ontario + Northern Alberta = The same, damn cold!

Anyway, hope you're all having a good day!

trns- congrats on the treadmill. That's really cool that you get to test it out. What kind is it?

Fae- You are SO close! You will get there! What happens when you hit your goal?

I did really well over the weekend. we ate out a couple of times due to out of town company, but I managed to workout/run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm trying to get back into a regular schedule and it's going well. I can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I'm wokring that morning, so I won't be hovering around the kitchen all day. We are just having a quiet holiday, just the two of us. I despertely want t turkey, but I don't know about leaving it up to Ross. That just spells danger to me. Any of you ladies cooking?

Ok girlies, jumping back into the chat. I am finally moved and reunited with the hubby YAY! Looking to get back in the saddle and tackle these stress lbs that seem to want to stay through the holidays. NO NO NO I won't let them , I refuse!

maja - Wooohooo on the treadmill. It really is so convenient having one at home, no excuses right!?! We miss you too hun! How is the job going, still loving it?

Fae - Yay on the lb keep up the great work. I am so not hitting my Thanksgiving goal but glad someone might lol.

martiniforme - We haven't met, nice to meet you :)

Jen - Not cooking, just eating. I know what you mean about men and turkeys...what a combination. My hubby filled his with beer a couple of years ago tastes pretty good but do we really NEED to add more calories into Thanksgiving? Im jealous of your running!

Man, I've been gone awhile....lots has happened. I got a phone call on Thursday I guess, and found out the my best friend had a heart attack...he's only 34! So that took me for a HUGE loop. I finally got to talk to him today, and he's got terrible blood pressure 167/118 or something crazy like that, his cholestoral is through the roof along with his high sugars. He's basically a walking time bomb! He's been put on a restrictive diet, medications, nothing seems to have worked to bring his levels to normal. It's really freaked me out, because we're so close! I got off the phone today with him and just sat for an hour or so crying because the reality of his health scares me, that the next phonecall could be telling me worse news then "he had a heart attack", if you know what I mean, and I don't know what I'd do if that happened!

Also, my hubby and I seperated this past week. Things were getting really bad, and I was getting pretty damaged by him emotionally, and finally made the decision that I didn't deserve to be treated like that anymore. So that's taken alot of my time and energy these days....my eating has been horrible with all of this, but I have been getting my walking in still....Hopefully I'll get back to program soon...

I kind of cook, I use the George Foreman to make chicken and steak and also make rice and pasta.

Anyone else getting a little nervous about the upcoming holidays...?

I was VERY good this weekend :) I am proud of myself. It has been 1 week and 1 day since i last binged.

stephiewilliams: Thanks, you, too!

amanda: I sent you a PM <3

cookiemonster: I am a huge fan of the slow cooker. My MIL just got me a great book of slowcooker low-cal meals. Each "serving" (about 1 cup) is between 170-200 cals. WOO WOO! If anyone wants info on the slow cooker recipe book, let me know!

~Mande

Thanks Mande! :hug: And I'd like info on that cookbook if you don't mind! Sounds like a keeper to me!

Oh, man, it's awesome! There were a ton of things in there that even DF found appetizing, and usually I'm cooking a separate meal for him at night (I cook several meals in one day, and freeze 'em!).

Name: PreventionGuide SlowCooker Recipes (Fall Edition).
Also, if you go to www.prevention.com, there is a ton of great information as well as recipes for fat free or low cal meals. Also features recipes for some of the popular diets, like South Beach. Being a calorie counter, and seeing those low cals per serving makes me super excited, haha.
The website also has articles published by psychologists and various physicians geared toward the emotional aspect of eating, weight, and weight loss.
This is not a promo though, just a website that I love :D.

So exciting about the new treadmill... Hopefully it'll get its wear! And hopefully you're love and it want to keep it... I remember ya, and miss ya!

I'm off and on about the working out, I'm just trying to get some cardio in this week and really make it a prority for me, along with all the work I have to do up until Thanksgiving, and I'm hoping that after Thanksigiving I can again start the running program... I'm feeling very driven this week... GOOD THING

Maja and Stephie- I've missed you guys! It has been a noticeable absence! I hope all is well with both of you.

CanadianMickey- I'm so sorry to hear about your separation, but if it's healthier for you emotionally, I'm glad. Congratulations on being so brave! I hope your friend is doing well with his recovery.

Fae- good job on the pound! I'm too scared to weigh myself, I'm just hoping all of the exercise will keep me stable through the holidays.

Mande- thanks for the tip about the slow cooker recipes. I always look for new things to try in the crockpot! I like to make stuff and freeze it in individual portions so it's easily portable!

CookieMonster- yeah, I'm also a little nervous about the holiday eating season... maintenance is king?

Jen- Does your oven have a timer? You might be able to get your bird in the oven and have it set to come on a little closer to when you'll get home... the responsibility on your man would be lessened substantially, I think!

I hope everyone is having/will continue to have a fabulous week! Keep up all of those good habits that I'm so envious of (you know, self control)!!! You girls rock!

A little off the topic of weightloss, but I figured if anywhere, this was a great place to share.

So, when I'm reading all these forums, I'm doing it on an older laptop, kind of heavy, a bit clunky, and the heatsink (even though we've applied the thermal compound a gazillion times) keeps overheating, and my laptop will shut down on me without any warning.

Well, today I was in the middle of looking up some more recipes for my low-cal recipe book I'm putting together for myself, and it shutdown on me. I just kind of sighed, waited a couple minutes, then turned it back on. On top of that, I turned on our industrial fan to help cool it down (meanwhile cooling DF and I down to the point of sweaters! LOL).

Well, DF just watched this whole time. I know he wishes that I could afford to buy a new laptop, but it's just not in my budget. Suddenly he asks me, "If I were to give you your Christmas present early, you have to promise not to tell my family. They are really excited to see how surprised you are at Christmas." I thought to myself, yeah, I can keep a secret. A gift early is always great!

Between the 2 of us, we're notorious for not being able to keep gifts under wraps. Like last year he ended up giving me my Christmas present a month early then as well, hehe.

Well, he comes downstairs, gets me to open it, and there is a BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!!! He had made payments on it for the last several months, and made the final payment on it last week, and brought it home from Calgary on a weekly work trip. I couldn't believe it! And now, here I am, on my new laptop, AND ITS NOT OVERHEATING!

I'm big on gaming, so this is an added bonus. My old laptop was a used one, but he had extra ram and a stronger video card put in to this one, and it's fabulous :)

Now... what to get him? I got him an XBox 360 for his bday, so I'm not really wanting to get him a new gaming system. But I know he wants electronics.

Soo...
He's a huge gamer, and he loves electronics. Ideas?

Martiniforme- I hear the PS3 is like the holy grail of gaming systems right now. That is so sweet that he just couldn't wait! I don't know if he likes music, but I got DB the limited edition red 4G iPod nano. They are brand new and really cool. I almost didn't give it to him! I dunno, boys are so hard to shop for. It was expensive, but it was also the only thing I heard him say he wanted. Does he need stuff for his xbox? Games? memory cards? controllers? I know they aren't big sticket stuff. What else is he into?

ABakerchick- I've been going blind trying to figure this out, but what does the tshirt in your av say? Even though I leave at 6 am that morning, I could put the bird in before I go. Will just have to plan that out. I just had these visions of coming home to find Ross dancing around the living room with a turkey on his head. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

Canadian Mickey- I'm so sorry to hear that you are seperated. I imagine it's a tough time. I think we all lose track of eating when stuff like that happens. I'm sorry about your friend, too! It's always a shock when that happens at such a young age. Hopefully you can use your good habits to help him recover. Anyway, you know we are all here for ya!

I hav a feeling I'm going to need a serious kick in the butt today! There is rain and snow in the forecast and that always spells b-u-m for me.

Amanda- I'm so sorry to hear about the tough time you're going through too. :hug: I hope everything turns out ok. (And 34?! is so young for a heart attack. Jeez..)

Martini- Do ya'll already have DDR? I haven't played, but I hear its tons of fun and pretty good exercise. And he sounds like such a sweetie-pie. :)

trns- Yay for new workout toys! Have fun and work that tootsie off!

jen- I do a lot of the cooking for my family, both Thanksgiving and regular. I don't do the turkey but I usually do 2-3 side dishes/appetizers, a salad, and a dessert. We spend T-day with my father's side and there's 14 of us, so it's a lotta cooking! (It's be worse if we spent it with my mothers though, there's 23 of us on that side and we'd need a MASSIVE vat of wine. I love them dearly, but they could drink a sailor or a frat boy right under the table.):dizzy:

Anyhoo, I have a small NSV to report. My mother and I were up visiting the aforementioned family who live up in NoVa, near Leesburg. We ended up hitting the outlet mall; I think it's called Potomic Mills, any of you NoVa girls familiar with it? Yup, it's amazing! I fit into the Gap larges now instead of XL!! :D Only on top, I didn't have time to try on bottoms, but still. Yay for me!!:carrot:

Hehe- It says "I <3 Spinning"... I'm turning into a spinning junkie :)

You know, I've been considering something to do with the XBox. Maybe I can buy him some more minutes. But I really want to wow him.
OMG. GREAT IDEA. MUST SAVE MONEY!
A digital camcorder :) He would never suspect it, but he loves making mini films with my digital camera, but there's no sound. I should be getting dressed, but instead I'm totally going to hunt around and see what there is online!

PS
ABakerChick: I'm a huge fan of Bridget :) You inspired me to change my avatar. Hehe.

You all are adorable.... my boyfriend loves 3d puzzles, so I was planning on getting him the New York, New York 3d puzzle... unfortunitely, it's discontinued, and the only place I could find it sold it for $110! Keep searching ebay... *G*

Nothing is super-new since yesterday... I need to figure out something to eat before I go to work, but Im kind of sick of all the food in my apartment, hah! Probably have some leftovers and some popcorn, I usually eat a lot before these shifts, because its a 6 hour shift when I don't get to eat!

Martini - Have fun with your new laptop! Im saving up for one as soon as I get the PS2 im saving for.. yay for working with computers *G*. I hope you're having lots and lots of fun with it! And the book is called The New Dieter's Cookbook put out by Better Homes and Gardens. It looks like fun!

Lisa - Woot! Congratulations! :)

june - I know the feeling, I hate rainy weather. It makes me want to go to sleep. =/. You can do it, though... do some fun cardio, THEN take a nap! Hehe. That's what I tell myself, and usually by the time Im done with the cardio I dont feel like sleeping anymore. And my celebrating? Im going to get drunk *G* I've drank once, a couple of drinks, since I took on the challenge. But I promised myself that I'm allowed to drink a bit more than that if I hit my goal!

Dreamer - I know the feeling. I like to keep myself really busy, but Im seeing that it's hard to fit everything in! *hugs*

Amanda - *hugs* on all the crap going on. And I hope your friend gets better.

Okay I am back from vacation. It was long and I was glad to be back. Washington D.C. was beautiful and the weather was great. I had never seen all the fall colors in the leaves and they were spectacular. I did really well eating wise while I was gone, except for the last three days. It start with my free meal on Saturday night and then I just went on a binge Sunday and Monday. I know it was because I was so tired and could not plan my meals. It didn't help that when I got home the last thing I wanted to do was grocery shop so no fruits or veggies at all yesterday. My stomach is revolting and I haven't slept well the past two nights. When in D.C. I took my pedometer to track my miles...let's just say that over seven days I walked over 40 miles and my calf muscles felt every minute of it. The good news is I am back on track today and had my morning workout. I have decided not to weigh in until my normal day on Monday, that will give me time to get back to my normal routine the next few days. The bad news is that I have two Thanksgiving dinners planned this weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. I can get through it know. I am planning on walking after those meals to keep from snacking on desserts.

Ok ladies so yesterday was disaster. I did not OVEREAT I just did not make a good choice for dinner like I promised. I also did not make it to the gym at lunch. You know I hate going to the gym at lunch but the way my schedule is now if I don't go then ... it doesn't get done. Once the house is unpacked and I get back into routine it will be easy to justify going to the gym at home. Man I wish I was to that point already I am still finding myself super stressed.

bakerchick - haha on the brazillian buttlift. All is well and I am happy to be back

jen - Rain and snow in the forecast!?!??! Boo! Get some workout time in for me will ya?

Lisa - congrats on your NSV! Here is to many more.

dolly - Glad your vaca went so well! Reminds me I need to take one lol. Good plan on the walking to avoid to dreaded desserts.

martiniforme - How exciting! I just had something similar happen to me! I've had my desktop computer since I was 16 (I bought it with my first jobs paycheck! haha) and now I'm 22. Pretty old. My husband's job is with computers, so he's a huge computer geek. ANYWAYS, we've never been able to keep presents from eachother, but he kept mine from me for the past few months! A few days ago I said to him, "Josh, I'm going to throw my computer out the window! Can't we just go get a new one or you build one? It's not like we don't have the money." and he kind of froze, trying to think of a response haha He ended up telling me that my new computer was all wrapped and waiting at my parents house in their spare room! Now I have to act surprised! hehe I've been counting down the days that I have left on this crappy old computer. I can't wait for my new one. My husband is so into electronics that he only buys the best (he records/edits his guitar on it too). Anyways, I'm rambling now, just thought it was funny how similar our stories were :D

hey girls!

a big HI to everyone i haven't met yet!!!

i have a question for everyone. so the last month or so i've been having these weird weigh ins...i will be down to 140 or around there and then i'll weigh in the next day and be a lot heavier (as in plus three or five pounds) it usually goes away within two or three days, but it makes me so nervous!! i just weighed in sunday at 140.4 (i know, counting by the tenths is sad), and then i weighed in monday at 143.0 and tuesday at 145!!! ACK! i have never fluctuated THIS much (and i've been dieting / maintaining for what seems like ever and it's not my period or anything like that). anyway, just wondering if anyone has any advice. i'm sitting here freaked out that i have somehow gained five (shoot even one or two) pounds! i am really going to focus on working out A LOT before thanksgiving and eating well and hopefully this weight will go back down to 140 and i'll only have two pounds to lose before thanksgiving! if i can get my weigh back to normal, i know i could do it!

stephie -- i'm so happy you moved back in with the hubbie!! i am not traveling for work next week, and i am sooo excited to be able to go to the grocery store and buy food for my meals!!

junebug -- i think rain and snow spell bum for everyone!!

bakerchick -- i loovve spinning too. i never get to go when i am traveling, so i am excited to get a chance to go next week! it really depends on what music the instructor plays though...what are your faves?

Michelle- I find it really hard to spin to music I don't know... I really like a good mix of everything. We were spinning to the theme song from Shaft today during a slow standing run today with heavy resistance and it was like the intro was leading to the sprint at the end. It was great! Luckily, the instructor is really good at keeping it mixed up, so there's usually great music. Did an all-U2 spin the other day and it was great :) The biggest problem is volume! I think if she doesn't already have substantial hearing damage that she's well on her way. My right ear was numb/ringy for 30 minutes after class last Friday! I take a Sunday class with a different instructor and he plays really low key alternative music, which is a nice change. Sorry, didn't mean to go on so long... just really excited that I found something I actually love doing at the gym! I'm glad you'll get to go next week! Traveling always throws a wrench in things. What is your favorite spin music? Is your class crazy-loud, too?

Stephie- There was a story on the news last night about people getting booty implants and fat transfers so they "don't have to be ashamed of their derrieres" WTF? I would glady share my excess with any interested parties.
HA! (That's where I got the Brazilian butt thing...)

Martini- Bridget is excellent. Although I must say seeing Renee all toothpicky in other movies (esp. Chicago!) kind of freaks me out now...

hi ladies

just want to say i am lurking and reading all your posts. everyone has so much going on and i want to do justice to you so i will be back later with a proper post.

keep at it! ;)

Good evening ladies :)

Had a busy weekend entertaining a friend up in DC. I was happy to see him, but the trip overall was variously frustrating and disappointing... It's a lot to get in to but the main issue is that my friend is incredibly political... and hates the US. He's pretty much as far-left as you can go. Now, I'm no flag-waving fan of a lot of what's been going on, but I don't hate it here. So it was really frustrating to go into DC, a city which I think is absolutely beautiful, and at every corner hear something negative or anti-American. The rest of the weekend was also frustrating but for other reasons. Oh well. I guess I learned it's better to maintain my friendship with him on Canadian soil, as I can't stand to have him down here.

I realized today that I joined 3FC back around February (March?) of this year... when I started really looking to get back into losing weight. And you know what? In that time, I've gained at least 5 pounds. And yeah, five pounds isn't a lot, but it's stuck around for this long and I can't get rid of it. It's been 9 months and no progress has been made. It's kind of depressing... maybe if I try real hard I can turn that into some kind of motivation, but for now, it's just sad.

We get the whole week off next week for Thanksgiving, I'm definitely looking forward to that. I need to catch up on SO much work... Of course, I could be sitting here getting work done now, but instead I watch Desperate Housewives on abc.com, play with a new avatar, and post on 3FC :) (BTW, in my avatar I'm showing off my first ever completed piece of knitting... I'm giving it to my mom for Christmas...)

maja - heya! long time no see (except for the b-day post!). Have an awesome time with your new toy... I know you'll get lots of use out of it! I hope you'll come back and spend time with us again :)

amanda - sorry to hear about your separation. but I agree, if it's what you feel is best... at the end of the day, you really have to listen to yourself and do what's best for yourself. you have to live with you for the rest of your life :) please hang in there and keep us posted.

martini - i wish i had a new computer.... for no real reason except I'm afraid this one will randomly die on me any day! it's just over 4 years old... laptop... hasn't broke once in the time I've had it, whereas everyone else who I know bought a laptop four years ago (my freshman year in college buddies) all have had to replace their computers already. So I'm just waiting......

fae - $110? Yikes! Ebay is the best, though. In high school I spent almost every penny I earned babysitting on ebay stuff. Man, if only I had learned the value of NOT buying posters of bands I'd stop liking in 6 months.... :/ :lol: I haven't done a puzzle in ages, I think I'm going to pick one up to do with the FH over the holidays :) Seems like a good, wintery, coupley thing to do.

Dolly - were you in DC Sunday? The weather was terrible Sunday, but SO gorgeous Fri + Sat!! Man, Fall here is driving me nuts. Of course, my friend visiting me was down from northern Ontario, so he came with sweaters and coats and.... arrived in 70 degree weather. At least he got to use them all Sunday, when the weather was evil again..... And I never go to DC without walking up and down half the city, I love it!!

stephie - yay for being back with DH. I know you must be exstatic (sp?). See, the wait wasn't too long... Now you've got your kick-*** job and your kick-*** hubby, what more could you need? :p

michelle - drink more water? other than that, I don't know. Our bodies are weird. They are completely irrational. They go against every possible thing we could expect them to do on a regular basis. It's just the way it is. Why not lay off on the scale a few days so you don't get freaked out? maybe concentrating on the exact number every day isn't helping... but everyone has their "thing"....

daisy - :hug: hope you had a good weekend!! good to see you around.


I think I got everyone. If I missed anyone, Hi! :dizzy: Time to go read.... up early tomorrow to chase kindergardeners around..... and two more days till Thanksgiving break!

FaeReverie: Thanks!!

dollypie: Way to go on all the mileage!! Sounds like you had a good time :)

mtp_and_hmp: That's awesome!! And a little uncanny, hehe. The DF LOVES eletronics. He used to want to custom build computers and sell them at a marked down price than the major labels, and just a bit over the cost of the supplies, but he worked for a place building and repairing, and he lost the love. Now he just does it for the hobby. I bet our men would have a ball hanging out together oo-ing and ah-ing over eachother's computers and other various electronic devices. But let me ask you this... Do you ever get sick of the wires and electrical cords suspended everywhere? Or is it only my DF that does that?! hahaha.

miss michelle: I'm not sure :/ Since I've never really drastically lost, only gained or maintained, I have no clue. Have you been deviating from your usual schedule very much in the last month or so?

ABaker: I know, eh? I was a huge fan of her in Jerry Maguire, I thought she looked great! I'm naturally a "hip-y" girl, so I love to see women that wear their hips loud and proud! LOL. And I adored her mental mindset in ...Diary because it is so much more realistic. I once saw this commercial, I can't remember what product it was for, but it was a woman's product. Basically, this woman is walking from her desk at work to the washroom, and we're privy to her thoughts. They bounce all over the place to the new hot guy, then the girl who she doesn't like, but smiles at anyway, and then to her in the mirror checking out her butt. It's great. I'll see if I can find the clip... 35 minutes later, nothing! Ah well. It's funny as heck tho.

I want to buy a treadmill because I love in the far north of Alberta, near Cold Lake, and for those of you who are just getting snow, it's been snowing on and off already for the past 2 months :|. Needless to say, we got a HUGE snowfall last night, and the snow went about 3 inches up our door so when we opened the door there was like this mini wall. It's so difficult to go walking. I was shoveling the walkways and door steps, and I kept having to go inside to warm up, and I was all bundled up (trust me, I'm from Canada. The Canadians know what the ultimate bundled up is, make sure you pee first! LOL). So I want to buy a treadmill, but they are all sooooo expensive!!! Any ideas?

britomart: Lucky you! Mine just kept overheating, and no amount of thermal compound would save it :(

Lets see, what did Fae do today? More kickboxing.. wow, that stuff really kicks my butt. I bought post-it flags at work today, so when i got home DB and I went through and flagged all the recipes we would like purple (and yellow when the purple ran out) for both of us, blue for me, and pink for him. Woot, Im excited about it! Some chocolate deserts with decent calories. Breadsticks and breads... and some really yummy looking dinners (it has a recipe for low-cal buttermilk ranch dressing that im dying to try.. unfortunitely, the calorie thing says for that plus the salad.. any ideas how I could figure out the info for just the dressing? Not that I wont try the salad too, it looks interesting). And to top it off, the book has a bunch of meatless dinners... good to have next time I see my best friend, a vegetarian. I think maybe I'll photocopy them and send them to her.


dolly - I hope you're feeling better. =/

Stephie - *hugs* I'm sorry you're so stressed, and I'm sorry you weren't able to make it to the gym. Dont get too hard on yourself. You'll be back to you're old routine in no time!

Michelle - I'm not sure.. but I hope you get it figured out. Maybe you should ask a doctor.. because we all know that our opinions are amazing and all, but medical people know best. :)

Daisy - *hugs*

Brit - well, you know what Im gonna say to you already. :) And what can I say, he loves puzzles. :)

Martini - Bah. Poor snow. *hugs*

I just noticed someting on my profile - the join date. I've been a 3FC member for 3 years and 1 day! Wow - I owe so much of where I am now to 3FC. Thanks!

Yay! :woohoo: Just wanted to pop in and report I lost again this week! :carrot: Brings the grand total up to 23 lbs!! Huzzah!

Now it's time to go work out!:drill: I'll be back in later!

Busy busy busy, like always. Went out to Dinner with some friends last night and ordered a vegetable soup. Go me huh (Did I forget to mention that it was an Italian Rest. where they served my fave, Fettucine Alfredo!)

Trying to continue the good eating on into today really emphasizing portion control. Oh and mind control ... "I will go to the grocery store tonight, I will go to the grocery store tonight..." lol

michelle - That is super weird about your weigh ins! You can't think of anything different, something in your diet even? Ooh no travel this week eh? Well have some fun at the grocery store for me!

bakerchick - Yeah I could "sponser" a couple of butt lifts and still have a ghetto booty myself rofl. Love love love spinning, never had music too loud though.

brito - I could use a kick *** body lol. Love the new avatar, and way impressed you can knit.

martini - I think a treadmill would be a good idea. You know if you are just looking for something high quality to work out on I had a Sportcraft TX 4.9. They sell that at Walmart for about 200.00 but may be less now. Is a really good peice of equipment.

fae - Thanks for the love hun! I always love getting new cookbooks! Sounds like you are having fun.

jenicra - COngrats on your 3 year 1 day anniversary!

Lisa - WTG Girl! 23 lbs is a huge success, keep it up!

stephiewilliams: Thanks, I'm going to check it out!
jenrica: Congratulations, and happy anniversary!
Fae: turns out I burned 296 cals shoveling snow for just over 30 minutes. DF keeps trying to bring the quad over from the shop to shovel the walk and driveway, but I'm keeping firm, it's my little extra bit this winter to keep those extra winter pounds from coming on! So... I guess there's something good about snow, but I'll never admit that to snow itself!

Okay I am finally back into my normal routine. Up at 5, workout, breakfast, and then to work. I am going to get a massage after work today and I am so excited. Relaxation the best thing in the world!

Brit: I left D.C. on an early morning flight and weather was horrible. I thought my cab driver was going to slide off the road and kill me...horrible driver... Saturday I went to the Veteran's Day Ceremony at Arlington Nat'nl Cemetary, it was very moving.

stephanie: smart move on ordering the soup and not the fet alfredo...pat yourself on the back!

theobviouschild: :bravo: on the weight lose!

Fae: That is so funny, my DH and I do the same thing with cook books so we can try new things

miss michelle: The only thing I can think of is are you keeping your water intake consistent everyday? If you are not drinking alot of water one day and then alot the next your body might be retaining it.

Hey girls!

You all make me really want to try an exercise class. i do the eliptical EVERY morning so kickboxing or taebo sounds cool. My problem is I have been bad knees so yoga and spinning are out.

I don't know how much I've gained or lost since I've started back on 3FC because I am still scared to weigh myself. I haven't binged for 2 weeks so that's a start, but I have gone up a pant size since I graduated college about 6 months ago (whoah 6 months?!? seems like yesterday).

CookieMonster416: How about something like jump rope, or exercise with one of the exercise balls?
dolly: I'm jealous!!! I want a massage hahaha! Curious, when waking up at 5am, what time do you usually get to bed?

I just got the best e-mail from my brother. I've been also posting the weight I'm losing on my MSN subtext, and he saw.

"You lost 6 pounds little sis......F***IN GOOD ON BABE!!! I'm proud of you and the accomplishment. Keep up the good work, and Mande, you keep me posted. You can do anything just stay determined!!! LOVE ya KIDDO *BIGBRO* JER"

This is a huge deal to me because both of my twin brothers are quazzi body builders. Ron is major league baseball material, and Jeremie is a hockey and sport nut. When I was growing up, they used to tease me because I was chubby and I have a big bone structure. And yes, my bros' names are "Ron" and "Jeremie." Teehee!

martiniforme - I usually go to bed anywhere between 10pm and 12am depending on how tired I am

Hey everyone!

I had a rotten day at work today and wanted to come post before eating so I don't take my emotions out on my refrigerator :o!!

cookiemonster: have you ever tried pilates? It's mostly small, precise moves that aren't so hard on your body... just your core ;)

martini- that was very sweet of your brother :) Are you looking to become a morning person? I get up between 4am and 5am depending on what workout I plan to do. Luckily, my gym and work share a parking lot, so it's super convenient. I must say that I LOVE working out in the morning... I figure that if I didn't get up so early, I would just sleep late and waste my precious evening hours (which become your only free time) at the gym... I try to go to bed around 10:30

Stephie- we should start a non-profit for butt-lift donations (of fat, I guess we could accept money too) haha!!! Good job with the non-alfredo dinner! You are a strong woman.

Dollypie- How was the massage? I always tell myself that when I lose x # of pounds that I'll get one, but it never seems to pan out.

Okay, now to brave the kitchen in search of nutritious and yummy dinner.

ABaker: I will NEVER be a morning person. Regardless, I get up around 6:30 am to get the hubby off to work by 7am. Then I go to the gym at 8am, then to work at 9am (on foot). I'm finding that I'm just not getting enough time in the mornings to get everything done :( Sooo... I was going to try getting up at 5-5:30am, see how that goes. Normally I go to bed around 12, so if I go to bed an hour earlier, it shouldn't be that hard, right?

RIGHT!

hi ladies

well, i have been eating like there is no tomorrow. i am feeling really ashamed of what i ate last night. my cravings seem to be getting stronger the week before TOM over the past few months and I am just giving into them. Today I am being held accountable and will do my absolute best to stay on track and not overeat.

dollypie - i am wanting to start workingout in the mornings too. nothing major - just a walk/jog with the doggies before the day heats up. now, i just need to master getting my butt out of bed in the morning. i hope you have a great massage!

stephie - way to go with the self control! italian restaurants are my weakness too. all that bread and pasta. the soup was a great choice and i bet you feel fantastic about your decision.

theobviouschild - congratulations on your loss! what a great total loss so far - 23lbs!

jenicra - happy anniversary :congrat: what a great testament to how 3FC really keeps us going

fae - i do the same with a new cookbook! i flag the pages and then give the book to my boyfriend who puts an additional flag if he agrees and would like to try the recipe. its exciting isn't it!?

britomart - love the new avatar! i recently thought the same thing as you about the joining date and where I have come (or stayed) since then. We need to turn it into a positive. I know I have learnt alot in that timeframe and it is making the journey a little easier than before I joined. What are your positives?

canadianmickey - i am sorry to hear about your separation. as hard as it may have been it sounds like you made the right choice for you! I hope your friend is better too. :hug:

Wow you ladies are chatty :)

Today I've been the picture of dicipline eating-wise. It's awesome. Now just to keep it up! I've been eating a lot lately, and I don't really get it. I know part of it is lack of discipline, but also... hmm. I don't know. Well, I seem to have skipped my TOM this go-round, as it was supposed to visit a week and a half ago. Seems to be a no-show. Since I'm LDRing and have been away from the FH for quite a while, I don't think it's pregnancy. I think maybe stress has screwed up my body temporarily. This has only happened twice before, so it's kind of throwing me. But I wonder if my weird half-depressed mentality and desire to eat, eat, eat of the past few weeks is related to the absent TOM? Like, even though TOM doesn't quite show up, I get all the negative outcomes associated with it?

Anyway, I'm planning on getting up early before class tomorrow and getting in a workout, as I haven't done much in the way of exercise lately. Well, deliberate exercise anyway... plenty of walking and stuff. All this talk of you ladies getting up in what I consider the wee hours of the morning is exhausting!! I'm lucky to even see 7:00 on my clock... :dizzy: You guys must get so much stuff done, you have so much awake time! I feel like I'm sleeping half my days away... but can't make myself get up earlier.....

Fae - if you haven't noticed, I'm a recipe fiend (more of a cooking fiend).... if you find anything good in there, please share!!

jen - wow, 3 years! good for you for staying committed this long!

obviouschild - congrats on the loss, that's awesome news :)

martini - it's so nice to see family support each other! with me and my sister, we don't really talk about weight related stuff because I'm not really comfortable talking about it with her... she makes everything feel like a competition. So yay for you and your bro. (And Ron Jeremie... hahaha... If only your parents could tell the future!)

stephie - haha, okay, you got me. kick *** body. but you're getting there, soon you'll have EVERYTHING! :p

daisy - I'm with you, I'm trying to look at it in a positive light... I mean, I sure have learned a lot since joining. And met all you lovely people :) And who's to say that in another year, I won't be at goal? How cool would that be??

Thanks chicas for all the nice words!! I pulled out some pictures of me at my heaviest, and I can really see a difference. Can't wait for the next 23 lbs!! :D

Jaime- I'd go get that checked out if it continues. Sometimes stress can knock things off kilter, but it can also be your hormones acting up and you may need meds to fix it. And I think it's different with brothers. Sure the sibling-rivalry is there, but it's different. I talk to my bro about my weight issues, but I think if I had a sister (especially if she was like Sam, athletic and thin), I wouldn't be able too. And congrats on being "good" eatting-wise, you can keep it up!

Abakerchick- For me, 3FC has the magical power to keep me from doing that! Hope it does for you too!

Martini- Aww, your bros sound like sweethearts (now, I'm sure they were hellions as kids). Are they tall and cute? Wanna introduce me? ;) And yay for walking to work!! I walk everywhere these days and I actually have started to look forward to my 2 mile walk to class. (The ****?! Since when do I look forward to exercise rather than dread?) :)

Daisy- Today is a new day, you have a fresh start! Keep going, I know you can get there! I hate how the guilt and eating are so intertwined; you eat badly -> feel guilty -> eat worse. It's a cycle, but you can break it.

britomart: Same with my sister and I. Except, it's not so much competition as it is her having to always be right. The difference in our diets is that when she wants to lose weight, she cuts her meals down to once a day, and very small. I'm trying to educate her, but she'll never learn until she realizes that she doesn't actually know ;) I don't think my parents even know who Ron Jeremy is! :rofl:

theobviouschild: Way to go on the loss! I can only imagine how much the difference must be. You must look absolutely fabulous!! And yes my bros were hellians. I can say they're tall... umm cute? How about I say I'm cute... and they look a lot like me. I'm not quite mature enough to admit my brothers are handsome hahaha.

daisy: A lot of us can relate to that dilemma (well, not so much me lately as TOM hasn't been around for quite a few months :S). You have the best frame of mind handling it, though. Today is a new day, and you are determined to succeed. You go, girl!

--

Well, today was a great day! I didn't count calories, I was sick and just not in the mood, but I have a really good feeling. Instead of reaching for all the crap, I reached for only good. I tried my best to listen to my body. And all day I kept craving orange juice with pulp. I had about 4 glasses!!! I also tried the Cal-Wise Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese, but substituted about 3/4 of the cheddar cheese with Mozza (made with slim milk).

And I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but there is this cute little fluffy cat hanging around our house a lot in the last month. We thought he was homeless, so we started feeding him. Since then, it's gotten really cold out and snowy, and I worry about him. Well, I finally found his owner! It turns out she has asthma, and he has to live outside, and I offered to adopt, and she accepted! So Cabouche (2 yrs) is now a part of our little family. He is living upstairs in the spare room. I'm going to wait about a week before I start introducing him to Neda and Laila. I want them to just get used to eachother's smells to start. But I was soooo happy when we went to pick him up!!! He's soo fluffy, and jet black. Love him!

Lately I've been having problems eating all the food I plan because I'm not used to eating so many calories on a regular basis, and I have now managed to split my foods so that I eat every 2 hours between 6am and 10pm. I will feel like I'm constantly eating, but atleast mentally it might be easier to consume the food if it's not all in a lump. 9 snacks a day with 2 main meals (brekkie and supper). Wooo. Goodnight!

P.S. Sorry for being so chatty today, I was sick and had nothing better to do. So instead of eating, I rocked out on my laptop. And besides, I LOVE THIS PLACE!

Hi all :wave:

Haven't done any excercise at all, although I've been chasing the kitten these last two hours so I may count that as excercise for today :lol:. Other than that, I've been busy (and sleepy) most days. I've been feeling a bit hot lately, not because of the hot weather over this side of the globe. But for the past month it has been raining, and I'm thinking sudden weather change may have something to do with it. Hopefully it goes away as fast as it came :)
Family from UK are coming over this Saturday, and I'm really looking forward to see them. We barely see any of my mothers family since we're so far apart(and too many off them too!).
People I haven't seen in months have commented on how much weight I've lost. It's funny, I can't seem to see it :(. Of course, I see me in the mirror everyday :lol: But still, I don't feel any different except reducing in clothes sizes.
Anyway, enough of my blabbering!

Fae - By the way you describe it, the recipes promise some healthy, mouthwatering dishes :drool:

Lisa - Yay that is fantastic! Congrats!

Stephie - Fettucine is my fav too. Pasta is one of my biggest weaknesses (next to bread) but I just can't resist them whenever I go out to eat-! :(

jenicra - Wow over 3 years! Congrats on keeping off the weight too :D!

CanadianMickey - I hope all is well for you, even when you seemed to be in low spirits you still strived to be cheery. Good luck hun :)

Daisy - You can do it ;). I tend to crave after TOM, for some odd reason

martini - Oh my, I can't tear myself away from this place either! If I have access anywhere, I always go straight to 3FC :rofl:. It's getting in the way of things...oh that is bad :o (but good in other terms!)

Like many of you, I WANT to get up in the morning and excercise but I have no motive to get up so early. Even if I do, I would decide to pay 3FC a visit instead. :dizzy:

Oh well :smug: , best of luck this week to all you girls! I'm off to finish some work (another deadline... dread dread)

Hi everyone....I'm a newbie here and had some questions for you. First my weight has always fluctuated by about 10 lbs here and there and I never seem to stick to anything. I was just wondering what are some of your motivations and where do you get the will power to stick to it? I've been on a small weight loss kick and I really want to stick to it this time. Frankly I'm a bit terrified of Thanksgiving because me and my husband visit his family who are big country cookers and never seem to think you can eat enough...how do i turn food down? I'm likely to put back on the 6 pounds ive lost in just one day lol. Just need some advice I guess...Thanks

Ok thats it. All you morning workout-ers are making me want to torture myself and attempt it. I have been dragging in the mornings and with an hour commute in rush hour traffic I cannot afford to be sleepy. Maybe this is the workout wake up jolt I am looking for. Plus it will be done for the day which means more time to spend with my hubby. Tomorrow BEFORE (god even as I say it, it sounds EARLY and terrible rofl) work I am going to go workout.

Tonight is a work dinner. I have a menu and a plan. Now I just have to know I am so worth sticking to it.

dolly - Thanks. You know I always seem to know what I need to do to lose the weight and get in great shape but it always feels like such an accomplishment when I actually DO it. Oooh massage, hope you enjoyed it!

cookie - Just hold off on weighing yourself and instead focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit. The loss will come with time.

martini - Thats so great of your brother. Family tells it like it is. What a great NSV!

bakerchick - lol I could make a fortune rofl. Sorry your day at work went bad, that seems to happen to the best of us. Hope the rest of your night went well.

Daisy - You know I do feel pretty good about my decision. And just taking control of my eating for that one meal is giving me the motivation I need to continue the trend. It is empowering for me since eating is something I usually have such a little amount of control over. STAY ON TRACK Girl! You know what it does when you don't and how you feel. You deserve better. You rock and you know it! Lets show it! rah rah rah haha just felt like being your cheerleader since I was rhyming lol.

brito - Great job on being the perfect eater. How do you do it, let me in on your secret lol!

passion - Good luck on the family coming over and PS: Take every compliment you can get lol.

Samantha - Welcome to 3fc! Once you get started on looking awesome you won't let 'being polite' mean you have to eat and eat and eat. I have a picture I keep in my wallet for motivation. I am also a big believer in fake it till you make it. Pretend to be the person who eats right, loves veggies, can't stand to miss a workout and evetually you become that. Remember it takes 21 days to form a habit.

So I made my first thing ever out of the cookbook this morning.. breadsticks. Don't ask me why, I just had an urge. And even though I'm not sure I did it exactly right (they didn't turn out "golden brown" the way the book said they should.. more like pasty white) they were still really good! Especially since I really don't bake, hah. Major happiness that I don't have work until 5 today, as soon as I get done typing this Im going to do my strength training.. then follow that with lunch, some sitting around, cardio, shower, then off to work. I forgot how relaxing working night shift can be!

I've also made a discovery.. kind of been lurking there, but it really came to my attention yesterday:

1. My collarbones are sticking out, like woah.
2. I have a WAIST! That in itself is exciting.
3. My cheekbones are showing. To me they stick out a lot, because I'm just not used to seeing a face that isn't really round.

Im quite a happy Fae today, all in all.

Martini - Yay for you! Isn't it great when you get congrats from you family? I know I love it. :) And score! On the kitty. I'm such a huge cat person.. I have my own fluffy baby (Nimue), who gets highly annoyed with me when I squeal, pick her up, and exclaim "I love youuuuuu!" Hehehe.

passion - Yay for chasing kittens! Beware though, they get their revenge by attacking your toes while you sleep! (Or, in the case of my mother and my sister's kitten, attacking your head while you sleep...)

Samantha - Welcome to 3fc! You've found probably the best weight-loss support on the web. :) These ladies are my heros!

Stephie - Good luck with the meal plan! And I know you're worth it!

abaker - *hugs* sorry you had a crappy day.. good job though, venting here instead of trying to feel better with food!

Daisy - It IS exciting. Haha. And don't let one bad day get to you.. put it behind you. That day is over, time to focus on a new one.. and one day of icky eating is not going to cause irreversable (i know thats spelled wrong) damage. *hugs*

Hey everyone! It's that time of the week again... grocery shopping! I told my husband a few days ago that if he wants soda or junk food that he would need to buy those on his lunch break and not bring any of it home! He happily agreed. I sat him down and told him that I wasn't going to buy any more processed foods, but that I didn't expect him to eat what I eat. He said, "Well I can't eat junk food if you're not going to eat it. You can't be better than me!" haha Hopefully you caught his joking tone. I made a grocery list on the dry erase board and at the top it says, "It can't tempt you if you can't see it." I can't eat the junk food if it's not in the house!

I hope everyone is having a great start to their day! My day should be interesting. My 32 month old daughter and I went to Target last night so she could pick out some big girl underwear. Potty training starts today! So far she's only gone pee once, and that was in the potty with her underwear ON. I tried to get her to go bottomless, but she said it was too cold. Wish us luck!

Just stopping by to say hi! There are so many posts! Well the massage was amazing and I was so relaxed going to bed. I slept the best I have I know in months. I have to go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, we are having an early dinner on Saturday and Sunday. My grocery bill this month is going to be very very scary!

ladybug: I use a couple different things as motivators.
1. Health factor. If I do not lose this weight, I will not have longevity.
2. Family. In my family, with sports, it's very competitive. I want to show my family that I can do this, and during visits, I don't want to sit on the sidelines. I want to go out and play a game of baseball, and keep up with my older twin bros!
3. Me. I have a picture of myself and what I looked like at the age of 16. This is what I want to attain again.
4. My DF. He loves me as I am, but I want to give him the best of me, and that is a healthy me. Plus, we're getting married next year, and I want to be breathtaking!

stephie: good for you on planning out your menu for your work dinner!

fae: my kitties are the same way! hahaha. And wow, great exercise packed day!

mtp_and_hmp: I think that has got to be one of the most adorable stories I have ever heard. So much, in fact, that I relayed it to my DF, and it even made him giggle! And you are so right about the junk food. I've moved everything to one cupboard, but I'm still having slipups. During the week, DF said he would move the junk food, but it still has yet to be done. I am going to get on him to do it today!

dolly: Glad you had a great massage! I kind of lucked out, Thanksgiving passed back in September for us!

Well, today is my 9 yr old niece's birthday party. She turns 10 tomorrow. She's having her birthday party at the local pool. Her friends and she get the pool to themselves for an entire hour, then junk is served up on the balcony, and she gets an hour to eat cake and open presents. I bought her a new bathing suit, so I gave it to her last night so she could wear it today. She looked adorable! But wow was I shocked at how self conscious she is!! I'm going to try to help her out with that. I understand, as being a girl I am, that most girls go through that. It just made me sad that this was happening to her at 9. I remember 9 as being really super carefree without a worry in the world. Hrmm.

Furthermore, I don't want to get in to a bathing suit. I have one, and have gone swimming with her often, but today is not a good day for that. I don't even want to wear shorts. Not sure if the pool has a deck area that I can sit in. MIL and DF will be sitting in the hot tub, but still requiring a bathing suit/shorts combo. Blarg! I don't want to shave my legs :(

On the upside, yesterday I bought:
1. An odometer/speedometer/pulse monitor/stop watch. It's cool, and was cheap!
2. Stott Pilates - Walk On To WeightLoss. Pretty much WATP, but it's a 45 minute workout, plus a 7 minute warmup, and it only cost me 16.00 CAD! I watched it last night with kitty to see what I was getting in to, and it looks like lots of fun!
3. Yoga Mat. Man, I only have hardwood and tile in my house. I was working out on a blanket before with my calisthenics, but it was NOT cutting it. Hoorah for Yoga Mats!

Hope you all are having a good weekend!!