Lizzie: Weigh to go!! Keep it up!

Life: Don't get discouraged, I think many of us get that way around TOM! I'm glad you got the mobile app working - I love using mine to track through the day because my phone is always with me.

Judy: I agree with the others about saving a snack for yourself to eat at night if you want to eat when your husband does. I also find that Princess' idea of keeping myself busy keeps me from snacking needlessly. If I get into a good book, hours can pass without me thinking of eating. Good luck!

Princess: Sounds like you're getting lots of activity in...good job!

My go to snacks? Fruit and veggies! But other than that....
String cheese. It's 3 points for two sticks, high in calcium and protein and will satisfy me for a couple of hours.
Larabars. I rarely eat a whole one at a time because I find them too filling, but it's 2-3 points per half a bar. They're tasty, slightly sweet and have no additives and extra junk (they're just dates, other dried fruit, nuts/seeds and some spices like cinnamon or vanilla). I usually keep a whole Larabar in my purse when I'm out and about. Having the 4-5 point bar will really fill me up and keep me from swinging by a drive through for a snack.
Crackers/crispbread with nut butters. Usually works out to 3-4 points for a couple of crackers (think the size of a melba toast) with nut butter on each. Keeps me satisfied for a while too.
Boiled egg. One egg is 2 points, protein, filling, easy to boil up a bunch in advance and leave them in the fridge for grab and go.
Homemade trail mix. I make my own to keep it healthier (the premade ones can be so much higher in salt, sugar and fat). I usually use homemade granola with flax, dried unsweetened fruit, almond slivers and sunflower seeds. Usually I'll throw in some mini dark chocolate chips for a little treat. The one that I make is a little higher in points (4 points for 1/2 cup) but it's very satisfying and great to put a little bowl of on my desk for grazing while I work.

Wow there are so many posts. That is Great! I just have a hard time keeping up with the personals and such. I have read so much good advice and ideas from everyone. Day one did not end well but back on the wagon I go. Hoping today is a much better day.

Morning, turtles:

Cherry - Hope you & children are feeling better. Nothing worse than sick kids.
How was your 1st day on new WW?

Judy - my decluttering is for basically everything & now that my fridge/cupboards are under control foodwise now focussing on house clutter & concept is hoping to "declutter" any negative thoughts & make room for new changes. Hope that makes sense. Also for me, when people are snacking I join right in so I would also plan everynight for the inevitable and I agree about it not making any differnce when you eas as long as it is within your points.

Princess - Sounds like you are right on track & so glad to hear you are making yourself a priority. Good for you!

Lizzie - congrats for your loss at the scales! You must be so excited & that is truly amazing. Keep up the good work. Good idea about the garage sale - I keep saying I am going to tdo that, then can't get organized enough so end up giving to charities or just moving it around in my basement. I should make that a spring goal - thanks.
For something quick, I like wraps with either veggies, tuna or egg salad.

ALL - Having any "free" food puts up a warning signal for me. I hope this new WW concept works for everyone which I am sure it will, since they do lots of research.

I have a new painting with little birds on it and beautiful colours and it says
"Change is Good"

Have kept on track this week, journalled & walked 8 miles so far.

Lets do it!

My go to foods:

Hard boiled eggs: I keep them in the fridge like Peanut.

String Cheese with a slice of turkey: This helps a lot when I get in the door right after work and am hungry - it normally keeps me till I get supper on the table.

Triscut Reduced Fat Crackers with or without a slice of cheese: For some reason Triscut's really get me thru in a pinch, they have "staying" power if you know what I mean.

It used to be a Kashi bar or a Nutri Grain bar here at work because they were easy to grab, not anymore - now my desk draw if filled with fruit

Back in a bit!

Hi Turtles,
We're doing great and burning up the cyber space lines with great ideas.
Thanks for the evening snack input. I'll take it all to heart and plan for that snack!!!!!

Cherry, you're doing fine. Don't worry about personals. We all know how busy you are. : for a good day today.

Bandit, I love the idea of decluttering also getting rid of negative thinking. Weigh to go and for the

Princess, I've heard of people who eat in their sleep and always thought it was kind of bogus until I met gals in my WW group who do that and now also your dh. That must be tough. Congrats on rolling over and getting back to sleep. I love your resolve!

Peanutt, great snacks. I can't go near crackers---the whole box is gone if I keep them in the house. But I didn't know two low-fat string cheese sticks were only 3points+. That's great to know because they do help me.

Lizzie, great starter for getting in the snacks we all rely on and work for us. You're doing great.

Today I went to my WI and my weight was sad. I was up 2.2# since last week so I'm baaaaaaaack into #190. Ugh. So this week I've got to be even more careful, move more and then be accepting. With hives, my weight fluctuates and it's not fun. But as my WW leader pointed out to me, I've got a lot to be grateful for and I have to remember that. And I mean that. I look a lot better than I did. My stats are all better than they were even though I'm older. I can do this!

Judy
234.6/not writing it! LOL/170's and thinner

Hi Turtles!

Great ideas for snacks/goto foods! I've got another to share - one nice crisp Granny Smith Apple sliced thin with one ounce of thinly sliced Parmesan. I got this one out of an article about how French women eat and stay thin
And its only 3 points! Suprisingly satisfying!

Bandit - I know what you mean about decluttering - sometimes it feels like I'm just moving stuff from one room to the next
Also - my consultant stressed that fruits and veggies aren't "free" foods - they are zero points and should still be used with discretion - adding to be sure and include them when tracking

Princess - I love Triscuits - just what I need for crunch factor!

Peanutt - I'll have to look for Larabars - sound delicious

Lizzie, they sell cases of 12 Larabars at Costco here. I've also been meaning to try making my own, but haven't yet. There are lots of good tutorials out there to make them.

Hope everyone had a good day. My eating has been horrible today. I just feel really sluggish and fatigued. I like triscuits but they don't agree with me for some reason. Not sure who mentioned the greek yogurt but I want to get some. I was going to pick some up earlier but didn't want to go in the grocery store hungry.

Good morning everyone! Happy Thursday to you all!

They are calling for a snowy weekend here, nothing major just on and off snow with cold temps but it still sounds like a good weekend to get some cooking done and a few other things around the house. I have my first official W/I this Saturday and will be going to TOPS tonight - I have no high expectations about either W/I but I am on the right track and feeling better so it is all positive. Like Bandit, the Free foods scare me a bit so i am trying to keep that in mind and the amount at a reasonable level - 5 a day and see how it goes. I am eating better than I have in a long time and exercising so it has to lead to some good things eventually.

Went to knitting class last night, I started my first pair of socks... very excited about that! I really love the knitting and the fellowship that I get through both the classes and the group and it is keeping me busy!

I did some quick grilled cheese last night for supper as DH was sick and I was limited on time, plugged the numbers into the tracker and like I thought, the points on those kinds of things have doubled due to the bread content I think but it is still reasonable for a "go to" quick meal when needed.

Bandit: I have been working on decluttering the house since DS moved out, ugh, what a job that is! Amazing how much crap we collect over time. I have been donating a lot of it to Am-Vets, they come and pick it up right at my front door and then they resell the items the money goes to the veterans so it is win win. I have thought about the yard sale/garage sale but I don't have much luck with those so the tax write off is better in the long run for us. I think that when you get rid of the excess crud you can't help but to feel better so good luck to you, I am moving at a snails pace on it but am starting to see the end of the tunnel

Judy: Yep, there sure is such a thing, never believed it myself till I met DH. Ugh, he drives me crazy with it sometimes but like other things that he has it is something that he needs to work on, I can't do it for him and like I posted a while back, I am concentrating on me this time around. Selfish, I know but the only way I am going to succeed.

Lizzie: I like Greek yogurt too, very filling, will have to add that to my grocery list. The apple and cheese sounds great too! So are you enjoying your time off from work so far?

Cherry: How is everyone getting along at your house? Getting healthy I hope, that is so draining having to nurse the kids and everything else that I am sure is going on... take care of yourself!

Peanut: I am acutally thinking about going to Costco this weekend to open a membership, I have a Sams Club but I have been hearing more and more about Costco's items, etc and how good they are... We use our club memberships a lot so having two wont' go to waste!

Life: Hang in there! Good move on not going to the story hungry! Awesome in fact! If I go and am hungry I just make really bad choices or run through the store quick to get the basics so that I can get home to eat and then forget a ton of stuff.

Have a great day all!

Good Morning Turtles - ready for a new day?

Does everyone know who Hungry Girl is? Her new show is going to be on the cooking channel this weekend! If you don't know about her, she takes recipes and reworks them, making them an option for all of us! And best of all - usually includes WWP+ values! Her first show is going to be on pizza! I plan on setting up the TIVO!

My first week off has been good - really just starting to set in that I don't have to go back to work for 10 weeks Today, I am going to sit down and write a to-do list so I don't fritter this valuable opportunity away.

Princess - have you been knitting long? My grandmother did beautiful handwork and I regret that I never took the time to have her teach me. I've been looking into local classes here and hope to sign up for one soon.

Peanutt - thanks for the tip on the Larabars - plan on looking next time I go to Costco.

Life (and anyone who struggled yesterday) remember that today is a new day and put yesterday behind you. That's why we are the turtles! Right?

Good luck to everyone in 2011!!

Sinus colds still hanging on. We are doing ok though. Yesterday when i tried to eat good I ended up feeling so shakey and sick most of the day. I want so bad to be healthy and feel better. I am only 27 and my body feels atleast 60. My knees hurt and my body aches. I wake up tired every morning. Sorry for the whine.All I need is cheese.

Well due to bad weather my TOPS meeting was cancelled tonight so I went ahead and got supper ready and DH and I ate and cleaned up... now I am going to curl up with my book or my knitting and go to bed early tonight, I did not sleep very well last night so it will be nice to crawl in early!

Lizzie: I have been knitting for about a year now, I have crochet since I was very young but only got up the nerve to try and knit a couple of years ago when I hurt my back and was laid up for a while. I taught myself to knit a straight knit stitch but that was all I could ever do so when I got to feeling better I found a local class at a yarn shop here in town and got started. It has become a passion of mine now and a very calming thing for me to do so it helps with so many other areas of my life. Find a class and let me what you think, don't get frustrated and just take your time, there is no hurry and it will all get easier but most of all enjoy yourself and create something wonderful that you can wear and show off

Have a good night everyone!

Hi Turtles,
Looks like we're in for more snow here. Dh and I have a surprise to go to tomorrow night, so I desperately hope we're not snowed in. The party will be very small and we'd be missed.

Cherry, here's some : to get your up and over your colds!

Lizzie, for your first week being so good. You rock!

Princess, I crochet too. My knitting was never too fabulous, to be kind to myself, so I'm relying on crochetting now. I also have some really cute Christmas fabric and I'm thinking of making some aprons for my kids and grandkids since I didn't get to it this December. LOL. Well, if I do it, I'll have very early Christmas gifts for next Christmas.

Life4evr, yeah----the Greek yogurt is yummy. I've also made a cheaper version by taking regular plain ff yogurt and putting it in a sieve over a bowl and refrigerating it. The runny stuff goes off and you're left with a denser yogurt that I like better.

Peanutt, You're doing great. Keep up the good work!

Hey, I've got a snack to offer. I checked out the points plus on ff cottage cheese. 1/2cup is only 1point+. That's a lot of protein for a little point+cost. I put it on a toasted piece of bread, and then sliced 1/2apple into very thin slices which I put on the ff cottage cheese. Sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg====put the cheesey bread back into my toaster oven for a bit and ended up with a yummy and filling snack. It ended up being my dinner for only 3 points+. Yay! I also took some time to find out the points+ for different kinds of fruit. I am happy to report that unsweetened applesauce is still 1 cup 0 points. Yay. I love that on oatmeal with cinnamon and nutmeg. However, heads up if you haven't had a chance to look yet====canned pineapple with pineapple juice now has more points+. I have to think about that====I guess because of the juice factor.

Okay=-==gotta go and eat breakfast. Just wanted to chime in. Everybody have a great weekend. Back from my doctor yesterday. Hey, I've got to brag=====my bone density is at the level of a 33 year old! How's that? I'm especially happy because about 10 years ago I was at a level under average for my age. That's a huge improvement. Guess Ca supplements and work~LOL. (for those of you who aren't quite sure, I'm 69years old----egads, that's tough to write, but I love that you are all so welcoming to me.)
Love,
Judy

Good morning everyone and a very happy Friday to you all! Yeah... so glad it got here and not a minute too soon - LOL - ugh, don't know if it is the week following the holidays or what but it seems to be lasting forever!

Not much new to report, scale is not doing anything even with the close tracking of everything and the exercise - it is what it is and I will go to my meeting and W/I tomorrow morning and see how it goes. I have to get the dogs to the groomer so I can stay for the meeting but will have to catch the initial review of the program that they do for newbies next Saturday.

Judy: I saw on the news last night that you guys are going to get the big old storm... stay safe! That is so awesome that you BD test came back with such positive results... fabluous! Hope you guys are able to make it to the party and have a wonderful time if you do!

I have to run but will get back on again later today, have a great day everyone!

Sounds like we're all getting some big weather! There's a heavy snowfall warning issued for here - 15-20cm by Saturday evening is expected. I hope people get out and shovel their walks a little sooner than they did after the last snowfall (a pet peeve of mine).

I've been right on track with my exercise this week. I put together a calendar schedule of workouts for the whole month on January 2 and I've done everything as scheduled so far. I am absolutely loving my new Biggest Loser Wii game! I did a 45 minute workout last night and burned almost 500 calories and was really feeling it.

Eating has been alright this week. I had some treats and splurges over the holidays which has me still craving more of the junky food. I used to be a potato chip addict and before Christmas hadn't had any in 3 months. Then there was a big bowl of all dressed chips (my old faves) at a party and I had a few handfuls. Since then I've been craving chips like mad! A couple of days ago I finally did the cupboard/fridge purge of bad food that had built up over the holidays. Still, this week was better than last week and next week will be even better!

Life: You made a great choice by not grocery shopping when hungry! Hope you're doing well.

Princess: The tracking and exercise is a victory in itself. Those habits are key to your success and the scale will eventually respond to your good habits!

Lizzie: You're off to a great start on WW! Keep it up and I know you'll be successful.

Cherry: I hope you're feeling better!

Judy: Great news about the bone density! You should feel proud that you've been able to make that huge improvement over the past number of years!