Saef-- maybe cut out one food that you know is a problem issue for you for a couple of weeks and see if you see a drop. Dare I say NUTS? I haven't had a grape since January and I'm holding steady with my 7 pound drop (also doing calorie counting so not just grapes).

Today and this weekend I will likely see a big gain though. Hopefully not the whole 7 pounds! Setting up the book fair this morning then leaving for Napa this afternoon. Lots of off plan eating planned (is it really off plan if you plan for it?). No exercise to speak of today (except moving books and boxes) and tomorrow. Hopefully will be back in time sunday for yoga. Dd comes Sunday too so I'll have to be extra diligent while she's here. She loves food and has requested steaks for her first meal home.

What I will do is STAY AWAY from my break room today. The staff is having a DESSERT potluck. Oy vey! Also, 5th grade is providing pulled pork sandwiches and all the fixings for lunch. NO THANK YOU!

Saef - a cut phase is pretty hard to do I think, and restricts pretty much all carbs during it I believe? Could you do that right now with the running class coming up?

First Saturday night I can remember when both DH and I stayed completely on plan . No beer, no chips. A small bowl of fresh pineapple for me and a bowl of frozen cherries for DH. He also had a small bowl of whole grain pretzels before the fruit. I figure the pretzels are a lesser evil than the chips as they only have 3 ingredients - water, WW flour, and salt.

I think we are both going to be a lot healthier : if we cut way down on the snacks, measure out our portions, and try to eat foods with less processing. We are already doing well in that respect with the rest of what we eat. It's the TV snacking that's putting on the weight.

I also managed to get DH out for a walk yesterday. Will try to do so again tonite. Exercise is the biggest obstacle for him as far as consistency goes. He is so used to being sedentary that it's become a habit.

Dagmar

This weekend of birthday celebrating is going okay so far. I have not gained anything (yet) so I guess either I'm making fairly good choices or smaller portions. Two more dinners to go.

Just updated my progress weight to reflect the few pounds I've lost, and then this weekend hit. Fancy meals on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, each with wine, to celebrate my husband's extended family reunion and his dad's 80th birthday. OY. I refuse to get on the scale until this Friday, with no sweets, no seconds, and no more than 1400 calories.

Dagmar, I too am seriously sick of walking around in the ice and snow - not that I do nearly as much of it as you (I have only 1 dog to walk, and a few children to chase around). I've also managed to slip and fall -hard- twice this winter; the bruise from the more recent episode is still on my hip and the outside of my knee. Really ready for this to be over.

I'm psyched to return from two days of meals not from my own kitchen to find that the scale didn't notice. Both lunch and dinner each day offered desserts! Dessert at lunch throws me - it's just not in my thinking. The good news is that they were offered in very small bowls as if just a sweet taste were all that was required.

Well, my weekend of eating has finally caught up to me. Slight gain on the scale this morning. And I still have another meal out tonight.

Quick check in here, I'm done with my weight loss phase for six weeks and am at a new low of 147.0. Haven't been this low since childhood, it's pretty freaking awesome.

Taryl, well done! What's the plan now?

Allison, try and tough it out.

Dagmar and Andrea, the snow and ice will go. Keep the faith.

Bill, today is green in your part of the world, I imagine. Don't bother with any green snacks.

And me? Not doing very well. I've got temporary sensory impairment: bunged up ear (treating with olive oil for the time being), blocked up nose etc as we go into spring, therefore taste not too good, eyesight - should clean my reading glasses. Touch isn't bad at the moment. I had a Marmite sandwich for lunch with salad which may mean I need vitamin B12.

Silver birch, I hope you feel better! I detest it when my ears are plugged or achy, it makes everything worse

Plan now is maintaining for six weeks to really lock my weight in at this set point, then around may 14th I plan on losing the last chunk. Hopefully after that it will be lifetime maintenance with no more losing, and conceiving another baby. It's been hard to put that off for weight gone.

Executive summary - clothes more or less fit, haven't drowned, wish DS could drive, could eat better, and just trying to make it to April. Next weekend is our state swimming championships, and also DS's musical ... when those two things are out of the way, life will get a lot simpler.

Nice summary . I hope you survive your busy week!

Knee deep in my book fair. I don't know why it exhausts me so. My weight spiked after Napa (almost 6 of the 7 pounds I had lost). Now a few days later it is slowly moving downward. Hopefully by the end of book fair it will be back down or almost. Today is my long day-- at work before 7 am and will be here till about 9 pm with only a small break. No exercise today but hopefully standing on my feet all day will burn calories. My hips, legs and feet are aching/hurting.....

Congrats Arctic Mama on your all time low-- that is so cool!!

Oh, Michele, standing all day kills my hips as well. I find that if I can lean on a counter or podium from time to time and raise one foot or the other up on a step it helps a lot.

My weight is just up about half a pound from my weekend of excess, so I'll call it a success.

I'm averaging 121-122. Have been doing a lot more heavy leg work in the weight room. My roommate and my boyfriend have commented that my posterior is growing. Food is OK, I've not been adhering to anything specific, and saying "no" to not much. I bought a jar of coconut oil peanut butter a couple weeks ago that is almost gone now - that really doesn't need to be a regular player.