[Kaylets]

Hello all!

Thanks for the new thread! Its been wild and crazy with weather, work and etc. But believe it or not, just this morning, I began a DAY 1, wrote it down on a "GOAL" Sheet and somehow, everytime I was tempted today, remembered what I had written....

So. Here I am, knowing that this is the right place to be.....

How is everyone?

How's your weather been ? Our is like this:

Ice storm ( translate--3 hr drive home)

Next day--50 degree temps

Next Day--70 degree temps

Next Day-- Below freezing

Next Day---Warmer but pouring rain

Next day- Flurries making things slick....

Next day-- you get the picture.....

And of course, DH needed a trip for another eye procuedure... went well, things are improving but very stress filled....


BUT-- Day 1, very limited sugar and NO candy or Girl Scout cookies ( I GAVE THEM AWAY TODAY!!) .....

I did good.

I win!


FRESH START CARDS ALL AROUND!

[qsilver]

I had to drop in really fast for a quick dose of the palace. Today feels like one of those days that remembering you are a queen first thing in the morning is a good thing. Ok, not that it isn't every day, but I'm about to head out to sub for the evil 9th graders again, and I'm trying to pool together any resources I have. This time I'm adding Tylenol to my arsenal so I don't come home with a migraine. This is the group of students who also have decided I'm ultra cool... makes me wonder what they do to subs they hate!?! Still, today should be better since they are more familiar with me.

So, plans for the day are to get up from here and make myself a beautiful salad for lunch. I'm going to pack a yogurt, an apple, and something crunchy for snacks today. I haven't decided on breaky yet, but oatmeal is sounding good and relatively fast. Dinner is up in the air, but it is definitely feeling like something easy tonight. Oh! That reminds me! I made a really easy/yummy dinner last night.

Orange Curried Chicken

INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl combine the marmalade, curry powder, salt and water. Mix together. Place chicken pieces, cut side down, in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon marmalade mixture over chicken.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, spooning sauce over chicken several times. (Note: If sauce begins to stick to the baking dish, add an additional 1/4 cup water).
4. Remove chicken from baking dish and skim fat off of the sauce. Serve sauce hot with the chicken.
(Found this recipe on Allrecipes.com)

I ditched the skin on the chicken, and I also used a sugar free marmalade. We added extra curry powder because we are curry fanatics here. The recipe was really good and super easy. Next time I might marinate the meat in the sauce before cooking, but it wasn't 100% necessary.

That's it for today. I'd better run, or that salad won't happen!

Andria

[wsw]

kaylets-so good to see you! glad dh's eye procedure went well. we too have had whacky weather, as so many places have. there is an ice storm due tonight, and i am certainly not looking forward to that one. we get power outages kind of easily when we have ice storms and i am cold just thinking about it.

kat-hope you enjoyed celebratory dinner last night. very exciting that you will become a day-timer soon!

andria-hope subbing went well today.

and hello to all our lovely royal court. i have several afternoon appointments so must away, but i wanted to check in and say i'm still hanging in there on newest challenge. ploughed through a lot of that nasty paperwork yesterday, and although very stressful, i kept at it. i am very proud of myself. well, take care, all.

[Arabella]

Working away frantically to get out of the office and stay out for the next week. Plus the usual Friday assorted chores. Mostly I just want to make sure the house looks reasonably tidy for my own personal satisfaction.

Which I didn't really get from WI this morning. .4 of a pound off. I was a pound and a half lower than this on Monday Almost discouraging, considering that I've put a lot of effort in this week. Nevertheless, I must soldier on. Next WI might make it up to me...

This is my seventh day of at least 10k steps and I've been very well-behaved all 'round.

Kat, HUZZAH, HUZZAH, HUZZAH! I'm so happy for you! Life is just going to seem so much easier.

WSW, you inspire me, as always! I'm going to follow your sterling example and get some of my nasty paperwork out of my life. You're so right that procrastination is a big part of the whole ball of wax.

Andria, your chicken recipe sounds great! I wonder if I can find sugar-free marmalade...

Kaylets our weather has had a similar pattern but not quite so extreme. Oh, spring can't come too soon!

K, Queenies -- must be back at it. Love to all -- let's make it a good one!

[wsw]

arabella- .4 down most definitely counts (!), even if it feels a bit discouraging. i say, good job with all your hard work, and it will absolutely pay off.

i actually slept better last night than i had in a while, and was grateful for that. today showed good results in my "big dig" paperwork effort, and that certainly feels good. i continue to plateau, but i think some of this is from stress and not as much from my food plan which seems pretty well-tweaked now. ---not that i am feeling patient about it, but more hopeful, definitely. weather is certainly icky here today, and i too am sooooooo ready for some nice spring temps.

have a good afternoon, royals, one and all. take care.

[Arabella]

I've been pretty darned productive today -- baked bread, made soup, did two loads of laundry, cleaned all external parts of the stove. And am also within a hundred steps of my 10k. Time for a nap now, I think.

Had the mystery pound gone again when I woke up. Of course. Another .4 and I'll be back to where I was last Monday. Aw, I bet I get a good payoff this week.

We're going out to dinner at our best friend couple's this evening. She generally makes something light-ish, so I just have to avoid too much wine and the potato chips they generally serve (along with veggies and dip) beforehand.

WSW, a decent night's sleep makes so much difference, doesn't it. I always find it hard to accomplish much and also very hard to stay on the wagon when I'm tired. Although yesterday, I'm proud to say, despite being exhausted I was perfectly OP all day. I did have thoughts of chocolate but that's as far as it went. I reminded myself that I wanted to lose weight and that, sadly, eating more doesn't tend to be the way to accomplish that goal.

If I don't see Anagram in here soon I'm sending out the search party. It's not like her to be gone from the Palace so long.

Hope all Queenies are having a lovely day and will report in on it! Love to all...

[anagram]

The Prodigal slinks in via the back door, head bowed. I can't believe I've been away so long. I don't know if I haven't checked in because I have been so derelict in diet or if I've been derelict in diet because I haven't been checking in. Either way or both ways, I have been bouncing on and off the wagon with great regularity.

Bravo for the productivity, arabella. And kudos on the resignation - one more step on the new road, kat. And the chicken recipe does sound great, andria. So does sugarless marmalade and I too must look for that - just because I love marmalade and that would be a treat even if I never make the recipe.

Glad to hear from you, wsw. Hope you got out and about. I too have been in Kaylets weather pattern. Ice, snow, sleet, ice, snow, sleet. But it's sunny today and only a little cold. To have two teasing, maybe springlike days coming up.

I am in the spring mode though. Have gotten several estimates for tree trimming and kitchen painting. For good measure, I've asked for living room estimates too. Licking the paperwork pile too. Have also been productive.

I'm sleeping better, enjoying more, feeling better. Spring MUST be close. Eager to walk outside. Not as brave as our Wood Nymph Still doing PT at home so that's SOME exercise every day but needing the fresh air. Lots of flu going around here and hoping to stay healthy in that regard.

I think I'd have enjoyed the brandy (w/the St. Bernard) but glad you saved it. We may need it for ceara. How is Cerise generally or didn't you get that far in your contact w/her, arabella? I surely miss her and Punkin and Eydie and Empress A. However, I'm mightily glad to have the Royals in the new spring palace and shout out a "howdy" to ye all.

I've got about 45 minutes before I'm to leave again so I think I'll take a semi-snooze or just generally be a layabout for a bit. That's a good sign - that I think I have time to do that.

[Arabella]

I'm a little weary. Might have had a little too much wine last night, might have been over-active yesterday (although I always hate to think that a busy day will tire me out for the next day it does seem to happen sometimes. Ah well. My theory is that the fitter I get the less fatigue I'll have. Makes sense to me.)

I've got my 10000 steps all wrapped up today, 9th consecutive day over 10k.

Also had a sliver of lemon tart last night and some rice crackers (not high-cal but salty and white rice). Today's been stellar, though, and I do seem to be getting better at having the occasional little exception and getting right back OP immediately. I've been forcing myself to only eat at the table when I'm alone and that makes a huge difference to me.

Anagram! I'm so glad to see you back in the Palace! Yeah, that brandy does sound good, doesn't it Sounds like you're making good spring strides. Every single improvement just feels so much better, doesn't it.

Cerise is doing well, doing a lot of singing I think. I've only had a brief interchange with her and couldn't (apparently) lure her back to our collective bosom. But maybe one of these days

I haven't made any contact with our Punkinseed. Wonder how she's doing... I've seen that Eydie and Amarantha are keeping active in yon Palace but now I do wonder about Ceara.

Mmmm... snoozy day here too. Dinner's in the oven and I'm just going to laze for the rest of the day

Hope all ies are enjoying lovely weekend!

[wsw]

hi all

good to see our anagram!

i had a very pleasant afternoon. i went to an afternoon symphony concert. one of my friends plays the violin for the symphony, and i enjoyed the concert very much. there was a children's choir which sang also, and they were very good too, and the littlest ones were so cute. the weather was pretty miserable, though, so when i got home this afternoon, i headed directly for the tea pot and my favorite afghan which my grandmother had crocheted (sp?). i didn't get all my exercising in for today (though most of it), but did stay op, and since i am tired after my big adventure today, i am going to crawl in to bed now and watch the academy awards. hope everyone has a good evening. take care, all.

[Arabella]

Fresh start cards all around -- they're right beside the teapot.

I had a pretty successful weekend and am now on my first official day off. I've got my feet soaking for a pedicure right this minute, with some wonderful-smelling Dead Sea salt in the water -- really smells like the ocean, only nicer.

Did the walk to the gym, circuits and nine flights of stairs. I've done the first part of my and am going to do the other two sections through the day. Choir practice tonight and the plan is that I'll walk there. I want to start getting in a little walk after dinner every evening. So good for the digestion! I hate feeling like dinner's just sitting in my tummy for a couple of hours and then I'm off to bed.

I'm resisting the impulse to try to get everything done today. I do have to do the recycling, because pick-up is tomorrow. But I've scaled down from getting tub and toilet recaulked/ cleaning basement/ decluttering china cabinet and so on.

WSW, your Sunday sounds just wonderful! I need to emulate.

K, ies, I'm going to... um, maybe finish the Saturday paper. Love to all. Let's make this a good one!

[katrinabgood]

Hey all... Not much to say other than, will SPRING please arrive soon? We're having one of those teaser days that make you hopeful, only to find out that it will be followed by predictions of more rain/sleet/snow... I have every intention of getting out there today to get a good walk in before the sun leaves once again.

This past week has been somewhat screwy...dh's car decided to shut down one night on his way to work...on the freeway...in the pouring rain. My son and I drove up there to hand over my car so he could continue on to work, while we waited for the tow truck. Ever since, we've been jockying cars like crazy around here... hopefully today's the day we get his back. After spending half our tax refund to get it fixed.

Other than that, all is well. I'm down to only eight more night shifts! Must start gathering together appropriate work outfits...(I wear scrubs to work presently) how exciting! I don't want to get too crazy spending $$$ on new clothes since I don't plan on being this size much longer, but I need some basics to flesh out what I have, and I definitely need shoes!

I slept right through my alarm yesterday and missed my WW meeting. My scale is showing good things though, I just hesitate to change my stats without an "official" number.

Arabella...you are such an inspiration with all your steps and activity! I keep saying I need a pedometer... today is the day, I think!

Anagram...glad to see you back! Since I generally bounce on and off the wagon also... I, too, know well the feeling of

I haven't checked in because I have been so derelict in diet or I've been derelict in diet because I haven't been checking in.

Coming here regularly DOES help me stay on track!

wsw... your afternoon out sounds like a lovely way to spend a day, surrounded by beautiful music! I snuggled up with my afghan too, last night, and watched the academy awards. I made a list, as I watched, of all the movies that I need to see! The closest I came to "seeing" any of the nominated movies was to read Atonement!

Andria...your recipe sounds good...and EASY. My favorite kind of recipe! Thanks for sharing!

Kaylets! Good to see you back among us! This IS the right place to be!

Okay, lots of chores to be done today that are not getting done sitting here! (though this is more fun...)

[Arabella]

Seems hard to get my 10k in some days but I've got 12 days in a row now, I think. Was tempted to wimp out yesterday but... I walked to choir practice which put me over 11k. Huzzah! Still waiting for the drop to let me move ticker but I'm down a pound from WW WI anyway. And I really should have some more progress on scale by Friday, I really should.

Did yoga so far today but the fireplace guys are coming at some undetermined time this morning so I can't get out for a walk. Might do a little and then fill in the missing steps with a walk later. I HOPE they get here in time for me to go to sound yoga but they couldn't say for sure.

I was feeling a bit wonky yesterday, and tired. Didn't accomplish much, nor yet did I do any special self-indulgence thing, like going back to bed or watching a movie. I've got to get better at that.

Kat, only 8 nights left? Whooo-hoo! And then do you get a little break before your new gig starts?

Yuck -- your car trouble sounded miserable!

K, Queenies -- let's make this a good one. Love to all...

[qsilver]

***DISCLAIMER*** This is not my most positive post ever. Please don't read it if you are looking for a Spring Palace pick-me-up.

I've stayed out of the palace for a bit because I couldn't get myself into a positive enough space to be in here with you all. Of course, I read what Anagram had to say, and I read the responses, and I know they are all right. I do better when I am here than when I am not.
I'm just frustrated with weight loss. I'm frustrated with myself. And I don't want to go face my scale this morning. I know it is going to be bad even though I can't pinpoint anything I've done horribly wrong this last week. I'm sick of salads, and I'm sick of soups, and I'm sick of "lite" food. I want to eat like every other person I see around me and not have to worry about whether it will ruin my WI for the next week.
I want to exercise. I really do. I love how it makes me feel, and I love the clarity in my head. I feel so alive when I'm exercising regularly. But I've let myself get so big that I can't do anything for more than a couple of days in a row without severe pain. I had to stand a lot and walk around a lot while substituting last week, and I'm still paying for it this week. I stood up once yesterday and had such stabbing pains in my feet that I thought for a moment that I had broken bones in both my feet.
I want the weight loss so bad, but I'm still struggling with the demons inside me--the little, niggling doubt that says I've failed so many times now that there is no use in keeping up this battle. And there is the part of me that says if I really wanted the weight loss, I'd be willing to do more--I'd deal with the pain, and I'd deal with the deprivation, and I'd do whatever it took to get me there.
I've got to get my head back in the game.
Right now I'm going to go make breaky for the princesses. I'm going to be honest with them about the tear streaks down my face (just did that, actually. The heir apparent came in and asked me what was going on). I'm going to weigh myself and try to remember that the number is fluid and should have no real impact on my daily life. And I'm going to move on.

Believe it or not, I actually do feel a bit better now. Thanks for letting me get this out.

Andria

[Arabella]

Andria, Sweetie! I think we can all relate to those feelings. Be gentle with yourself! And, please remember that coming in here is absolutely the thing to do when it's not going well or we're getting discouraged. Kudos to you for coming in!

Sometimes it seems like I don't want to eat anything that I'm "allowed" to eat and that there's not a single thing that would satisfy. Those times, for me anyway, are often like the alcoholic's "One drink's too many and a thousand not enough" -- starting in is like opening the floodgates.

But you're doing so great! The emphasis on healthy food is the way to go, no question.

As for the exercise dilemma, I've been there and still am. I have foot trouble from being overweight a long time and having been a waitress for a long time too. It's a real challenge. One thing that makes a big difference for me is wearing good, supportive shoes all the time. I've even had to stop wearing my slippers around the house. I try to wear my running shoes now when I'm walking any distance. And, honestly, I think I need to go to a specialist and get orthotics or special shoes.

You'll have to also be gentle with yourself about exercise and not try to do more than your body's ready for.

I also know the self-defeating thoughts and behaviors. I just recently fully realized that there's a part of me that just wants to remain stuck, not face up to things. But the reality is that that wouldn't take me anywhere I want to be. If I want to escape from time to time, I'll have to pick a better way to do it.

Anyway, your post sounds like you're in crisis mode and sometimes you've got to get through those to make the changes you want to make.

Onward!

[katrinabgood]

Andria, my friend... you have taken such a HUGE step just coming here and getting those feelings out! Always remember that you will get nothing but love, support, a sympathetic ear and an empathetic hug here. We have ALL been there at one time or another and know all too well those feelings of despair. You have been doing so well...try to remember to rejoice in those small changes and continue to just keep doing what you've been doing. Don't be afraid of the scale...use it to keep yourself on track.

**It's funny...I'm saying the exact words to you that I should be able to say to myself when I'm feeling the same way** There's a lesson to be learned here.

Where was I? Oh yes... I've had to learn to stop berating myself for what I have done to my body by getting to be so big. I'm facing forward. No regrets or recriminations. I've spent a lifetime being angry with myself for being fat and it's only gotten me fatter, so this time I'm being kind to myself and it's working.
S L O W L Y, but it is working. Every teeny little positive step that we take will get us to where we want to be. We deserve this!

Now get out there and be that totally crunk sub that we know and love!