[JudySP]

Starting the topic. Be back in a little while.

Judy

[JudySP]

Good morning and happy Monday!

I had a good weekend. I ended up bringing the light popcorn to the movies with me which was a good decision because Tony (of course) got a huge movie popcorn. I did take a taste but then stuck with mine. BTW, go see "An Inconvenient Truth." I think we owe it to our children and grandchildren to see it and take action.

We had a great day with Anthony at the pool yesterday - lots of time in the water and although I didn't walk in the pool, it was a very active day. I am particularly proud of my eating. The snack shop there has hamburgers, hotdogs, fries, nachos, well, you get the picture. I packed a yogurt for myself and then had a salad (that they've added to the menu!) I did have a few of Tony's fries but that was it. Anthony asked for ice cream later in the afternoon and I had a "Froze Fruit". We had pizza for dinner but I had the points for a slice. I cut it in half which, for whatever reason, really makes me think I'm having more than I am. I had some fruit and popcorn later in the evening and was good. All in all, I only used 4 flex points the whole weekend. My goal is to use no more than 1 flex point today which will leave me 30 points for our trip. I'm slowly getting used to the target range of 20 points - not fun but I guess I'll get used it.

We're leaving for Philly tomorrow morning and coming back on Thursday. Since I've decided to work in the Philly cheesesteak for lunch on Wed, my biggest challenge will be going out to dinner tomorrow evening. I have no idea where we are going but have decided that if they have fish on the menu, that's what I'll get. I'm planning on bringing some fruit for the trip as well as some pre-packaged snacks (love those 100 calorie packs).

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Check in no matter how you are doing!
Judy

[Merrylegs]

Hi everyone...

Feels like forever since I've been here. Our PC croaked once and for all several (many?) weeks ago, and between working, working outside on the property and generally being very busy, I decided to live without one for a while. And now I'm back at it.

Judy, I see you've been making great progress! And Carla, hope you've had a good recovery after your surgery...I'll have to work my way back through some threads.

Weight wise, things are about where I was when I was last here...haven't lost, haven't gained either. Some of my jeans feel a bit looser, so I suspect I'm building a bit of muscle and losing some fat. Haven't been to Curves for a long time, but there's so much to do outside, I'm confident I'm getting in exercise.

On the "homestead" front, we have a horse (Buck) and a miniature donkey (Rupert)! They're to die for. We had to have Su, our ancient cat put down a few weeks ago, as her kidney failure had become severe. We have a new kitten coming the first week of August (she's two weeks old now).

Jen is coming home from Korea in August, and will be coming up to stay with us for a couple of weeks, which I'm hugely looking forward to.

Hope all's well with everyone...

Karen

[cece]

Hi all,

Judy - Good for you for sticking with the light popcorn at the movies. While I probably won't get to see An Inconvenient Truth at the theater, I definitely plan on watching it once it's on DVD. Glad to hear you had a good, active day at the pool with Anthony. And a huge pat on the back for choosing the salad at the snack bar. I don't envy you being down to 20 points (although way to go on getting there!). I think I missed when you moved from flex to CORE. Perhaps when sticking to 20 points seems too daunting, you can temporarily go back to Core. Have fun on your trip to Philly. I'm drooling at the thought of a cheesesteak. When we lived in the city we had a greasy spoon a block from our house that made great cheesesteaks. In fact the Tribune had transplanted Philadelphians vote on their favorite cheesesteak in Chicago and this place won. So enjoy your cheesesteak, every point of it

Karen - So good to "see" you back here. I bet you're thrilled that Jen is home. Where is she living and what's she doing? A horse and a miniature donkey! What fun! I'm sorry to hear about Su. I hope the new kitty helps you to miss her less. We have two new kittens here. They're a hoot. We got them a couple of weeks ago and they're about 3 months old now.

I'm still struggling to remember to drink my water. I don't know why as it hasn't been a problem before. Journalling went kaput, as is usually the way. I'm going to pick myself up and try, try again. I had to go into the city for a meeting today, so I got some walking in. Problem is, I'm dead tired and Ana has a swim meet tonight. I'm praying for rain so it's cancelled.

Have a good evening.

Carla

[chubbynursenomore]

Hello everyone! We got in last night after our almost two week vacation!
I am tired and have been tackling Mt. Laundry today. There is a 6 hour time difference so we all are going to take a few days to adjust.
Our vacation was fabulous, we did so many things. Hawaii really is beautiful and it's easy to see why so many people love it there. I did however, gain 5lbs according to the scale this am. My official weigh in will be Friday. I ate TONS of fish, the Mahi there is so delicious!! And we did a lot of walking up and down Waikiki beach so I was hoping that helped. But I knew a gain was coming with all those tropical drinks and eating out for 2 weeks straight!
I am going to try to post a photo from the beach wedding. I was self-conscious in the dress but got through it, and the photos came out lovely.

Judy, have a great time in Philly! Carla, keep working on the water and journaling. I have to get back to all of that plus working out again! Karen, I am so jealous of your farm! The animals sound so cute.

Okay I'm off to try to post that photo.........

[JudySP]

Karen - I'm so sorry about Su. Even when you know it's coming it's hard to lose a pet. I'm sure you will be laughing at the new ktiten's antics come August. Wow, a horse and a miniature donkey! Sounds like a blast. I'm sure you can't wait for Jen's visit.

Rachel - welcome bavck! I'm so glad your trip was fabulous. Don't worry about the gain - you'll get that off soon. I hope you re-adjust to this time zone quickly. I'm sure you looked beautiful in the dress and I can't wait to see the pictures.

Carla - Have you ever tried the Crystal Light on the Go packets? Although I usually don't have a problem getting my water in, I have found that the lemonade and iced tea flavors delicious. I use about 1/2 packet in a 24 oz bottle of water and find myself almost guzzling it, its so refreshing in this weather. OK, how about trying to journal again tomorrow. Just don't quit trying! I think I moved to Flex from Core around April (?) maybe a little earlier - I just found that my portions were out of control and the weight loss wasw (not surprisingly) miniscule.

I'm at my cousin's in Philly. We've hada nice time although the weather has been brutally hot - in the 90's and most of what we've done (Longwood Gardens, Independence Hall) has involved a lot of time out in the heat. My eating ahs been pretty good. The Philly cheesesteak today was yummy and I'm glad I tried it. I used flex points for dinner tonight but even with all that, I still have at least 13 or 14 to get me through Friday. We've done a bit of walking too and that has helped.

I am (more than) a bit disappointed though. My extended family (especially this cousin) has always been weight conscious/obsessed. She keeps herself in good shape and giving her credit, does so with a lot of attention to it. Maybe this sounds a little bad or selfish, but I guess I was expecting to hear a little compliment on the fact that I've lost about 10 pounds since I saw them last. I mean, people at work who saw me everyday noticed that I had lost a decent amount - I haven't seen these cousins since Thanksgiving! Not a word though. Not a single word. I know I shouldn't set so much store in it and yes, I am proud of what I achieved, but it bothers me nevertheless. I'm sure if I had gained 10 pounds this cousin would have said something if not to me than to her sister. Anyway, it's been a disappointment. Well, at least I haven't let it affect my eating negatively.

Anyway, time to free up the computer. Have a great one,
Judy

[cece]

Hi all,

Rachel - Welcome back! I'm glad to hear you had such a good time - you deserved it. Hey, keeping a weight gain to 5 pounds after a two week vacation that included eating out every day is pretty good, in my book. I bet it comes right off after a couple of days on program. I hope that you get over your jet lag soon. And good luck with Mt. Laundry. Can't wait to see the picture.

Judy - I'm glad to hear you're having a good time in Philly and that you enjoyed the cheesesteak. Sounds like you're in good shape with your flex points. I think I tried the Crystal Light on the Go packets once when I got a sample. I'll have to remember to put them on my shopping list. It's not that I don't like water - I do. I just forget to drink it sometimes. But jazzing it up wouldn't hurt. I'm sorry that your cousins have disappointed you by not acknowledging your weight loss. I completely understand how you feel. You've worked hard at this and it would be nice to have your accomplishment recognized. You know maybe on some level they enjoyed feeling a bit superior to you because you had some weight to lose. Now that's going away and they are having difficulting adjusting how they perceive you. But enough with the armchair psychologist stuff. Good for you for not letting this have a negative impact on your eating. You're doing great and you know it and that's all that matters in the end. (And we know it too!)

The scale showed another 2 pound gain today. I'm disappointed, but I deserved it. However, given some, um, digestive issues that I dealt with today along with the fact that my body let go off a lot of water, I think I'll see the gain gone soon. On the bright side, I've had a great on program day and, yes I've both journaled and got in all my water. Yay me. I concocted a buffalo chicken pasta salad tonight and it was quite tasty, if I do say so myself. I had the kittens to the vet's today. Kaly was sue for her shots. I brought Moe in because his sneezing was getting worse and he wasn't eating much and seemed lethargic. Turns out his cold has gotten worse and he was running a fever. The vet suspected he had a sore throat given the harshness of the sneezing. And he has blood in his urine. She gave him a shot of antibiotics and then sent us home with some medicine for him. And then the office called tonight to tell us that they tested Kaly's fecal sample and she has worms. Oye. And one of the stitches from her spaying popped so we have to rub Neosporin on her. It's going to be fun with kittens and medicine around here for awhile.

And on that note, I'm sigining off. Have a good evening and a great day tomorrow.

Carla

[chubbynursenomore]

Okay here goes with the photo. I had to resize it so hopefully did it right!

[cece]

Rachel - You look lovely in the dress! Thanks for sharing the photo.

Carla

[chubbynursenomore]

Thanks Carla. I'm getting an 8x10 of that photo!
Judy--I am sorry about your family not commenting on your recent success.
I think they are just jealous. When I saw my family at Easter, they said "be careful or you'll gain it all back!" with a sarcastic tone like they just knew I couldn't keep it off. Whatever--I will show them and so will you!! I hope you didnt' let it ruin your fun.
Karen I hope you are doing okay without your kitty. If he was so sick, then you know he is not suffering anymore. And the new kitten will be a happy addition to the farm.
THe girls slept until 11:30 today--would have been later but I woke them up!
I have just over a week to get them back to Eastern time before school starts.
Ayana has swimming at 8am tomorrow, getting her up should be a joy.

Talk to you all later!

[JudySP]

Carla - Sorry about the gain but I am glad to hear that you had a good program day yesterday, journalled and got in your water. I hope today is going equally as well. I know you want to take off a few before the visit to the doctor - is that 5 weeks away now? Let me know if there is anything I can do to be a PITA or a drill sergeant about to help ;-) I hope Moe is feeling better? It's good you took him to the vet - as you know, colds/sore throats can be serious for kittens. It's good he's on antibiotics - do you have to give him pills or liquid? Hmm, worms - very common too as you know. That should clear up pretty quickly. I hope her spaying scar is doing better. Oy, is right! Buffalo chicken pasta salad????? That sounds absolutely mouth watering! Care to share the recipe when you have the time to post it? Thank you so much for your caring and insight. I think what you suggested may be the case. And yes, I do know that it is what we know that matters - but it helps so much to have a friend's perspective.

Rachel - You look beautiful in that dress! I hope you "climbed" Mt. Laundry without too much hassle. I'm sure the family will adjust to Eastern time in just a few days. Wow, school starts in Florida again in July??? When did they start their summer vacation? Thanks so much for your caring and insight - it really helps to hear others' perspectives - it's hard when you deal with your family, as I know you know! They do seem to push those buttons!

It was a nice trip but I am very glad to be home although it seems as if we are going to get the same weather for the next few days - hazy, hot and humid! The trip back was a bit of a pain - once we got back into NY there seemed to be construction everywhere. The last few days have taken a bit of a toll on my back and neck - I tried to keep up with my PT stretches but it was hard. Oh well, it will be good to sleep in our bed tonight and I have PT tomorrow. For some reason I haven't gotten much water in today. I'd better take my own suggestion and get in some Crystal Light. My rings were very tight this morning and I'd like to have a good weigh in on Saturday. I've surely worked hard on it this week!

Have a great one!
Judy

[cece]

Hi all.

Rachel - Is your school on a year-round schedule? We're going back in 5 weeks and that seems fast to me. Your girls must have been exhausted. Tomorrow Ana has no activities scheduled, so I'm hoping she sleeps in a bit. Watch - she'll be up at the crack of dawn. Every other morning I have to drag her out of bed, but when she doesn't have to get up....

Judy - I'm glad you enjoyed your trip. It is always good to get home, though. I hope your head and neck feel better. If you're getting hot, humid, and hazy weather, you're in good company - that's what we have here. Yep, my doctor's appointment is 4.5 weeks away and I absolutely must have some weight off. Well, I absolutely must have some weight off, dr.'s visit or not. I hopped on the scale this morning and both those pounds were gone and they took another friend with them. Funny how staying on program gets results. Moe is feeling much better today, thanks. I know this because he was climbing all over me and attacking his sister. I'm relieved, to say the least. As for the buffalo chicken salad, it's just something I made up. Here's the "recipe", such as it is: I sauteed some chicken tenders (I buy a bag of them from Trader Joes - the bonless, skinless, breast strips) and then cut them into smaller chunks, returned them to the still hot pan and poured some Frank's Buffalo Chicken Sauce over them. While that was going on I cooked and cooled some pasta (whole wheat, of course), chopped some celery, and added it to the pasta. I then added a tiny bit of mayo (no fat) and some lite bleu cheese dressing. I put some salad from a bag in a bowl, topped it with the pasta mixture, and then topped that with the chicken. Fast, easy, and delicious. I actually mixed the pasta salad part separately for me and for John so I could measure ingrediants and easily count points. Let me know how you like it if you try it.

I'm having another good, on-program day. I've journaled, I've drank water, and, since I had a meeting in the city, I got a bit of walking in. Although it was so hot, even at 9:00 in the morning, that I walked very slowly. Tonight Ana's swim team has a banquet, so dinner will be out. I can guess what they're having: one or two pasta dishes, a salad, some fruit, perhaps some pizza and cookies for dessert. So I'll load up on the salad and fruit, have a bit of pasta, perhaps a small slice of pizza and try to skip the cookies. At any rate, I'll use flex points if I need to, but I'll journal it all.

Have a great evening.

Carla

[ivynikki]

Hi guys,
Well, it's been a few weeks since I last posted. I've been a little depressed. Fortunately, I've only gained 3 lbs. during this time. I need to get back on track. For some reason, it's a lot harder now than when I first started dieting. Oh well. I'll figure it out.

[cece]

ivynikki - Welcome back. I'm sorry you've been feeling down. Three pounds isn't too bad - you can have it off again in no time. Sometimes we just have to fake enthusiasm for sticking to the program until we start to feel it again. Hang in there.

Carla

[chubbynursenomore]

I'm feeling a little down myself. Since we have been back we have been eating out and having people over to hear about our trip & see the photos. I love all that, but it has included more eating and drinking!! We are going to a friend's house tonight for a party and my mom is coming over tomorrow for the post-vacation hooha. Then come Monday, it's back to work and back on program for me! It was just too hard to start as soon as we got back with everything going on. Monday will be a fresh start for me, and we'll see if I can get back into my points/exercise program. DH is still on vacation until the 21st and he has a tendency to sabotage me. I have to get a hold on that! He has gained quite a bit himself lately.
My kids go back to school July 31--so I have two weeks but for some reason I was thinking one. They got out May 24. I just think it is too hot to go back so early. But here we have standardized state tests, the FCAT and the teachers like having more time to prepare the student. I personally hate the test (promotion is based on it in 3rd and 8th grades, but the kids take it every year from 3rd up). But state funding for individual schools is based on the results (another flaw in my opinion, it makes the failing schools worse and gives money to the already good schools). the public school system in this country is so misguided and outdated...............but anyway I digress! Gotta go feed the girls dinner before we go out tonight!
Talk to you all soon!