Jen: Maybe lighten your courseload until the baby is a bit older?

Denise: Good luck w/the outlaws, I mean inlaws.

Tamara: It's never easy. My best friend is going through a divorce. My heart goes out to you & your son. You WILL get through this.

Jenniffer: I can't believe we are seeing the same man! Sundae swore I was the only one!!!

Jess: Dont you just hate that? I feel like, "Um, excuse me, hello?" when I'm working w/our office slacker.

Everyone else: You are all doing so great! It's so inspiring!

As for me I'm slowly sliding back on plan. One thing I've noticed this week is that I am very very thirsty. I'm meeting my water goal almost every day & sometimes drinking more. Go me!

On Oct. 31st, I made a goal to walk every weekday morning for an hour. Not only have a done it but I even added some running. I'll tell you though I thought that I suddenly would be a size 7. I know it sounds crazy but I thought for sure in two weeks I would have lost like a million pounds. Now, that I think about it rationally, I know it's not possible but still - just a little disappointing.

ANYWAY, Friday was my 2 week anniversary of walking every morning. I decided that I should reward myself with a new pair of pants, or a skirt or something. So, I went to my favorite store Torrid (a plus-size sister store of Hot Topic). Torrid has decided to not have any clearance until after the holidays! WHAT?!?! Are they crazy?!?! In this economy they decided to do this? You can buy the clearance on-line but if I can't try it on, I don't want to buy it. Of course, I don't buy anything that's not on sale so I left incredibly disappointed.

I did buy an outfit though (JcPenny's). But it's a cute pair of grey slacks and a short-sleeved red ribbed turtleneck. I was suprised I fit into a size 24 but it does have that stretchy material in it. I was suprised at how much nice work style clothing JcPenny's has. Of course, I couldn't find anything bigger than a 24....

Jessica -
How cool that you've started walking every day! I really admire that - it shows a lot of self-discipline. Can you already feel it's benefits - like, more energy etc?

Congrats on your accomplishment!
Angi

Jessica, that is great that you found something that you like! I'm glad to hear that you have the motivation and dedication to walk every morning! Want to lend me some of that!. You are doing great. Don't give up.

Awww! Thanks!

I thought it would be so hard but it's really not. It's like brushing my teeth, I have to do it even if I don't feel like it. Somehow, it's become that same mindset.

The first couple of times I went, I hit snooze on my alarm and took ten minutes to come up with reasons to get out of bed. Of course, it didn't take long before I was putting on clothes and hitting the pavement. Now, I just feel gratified enough to know that I can get it out of the way first thing in the morning I don't have to worry if I will "feel like it" later.

My exercise partner helps too! His name is Keiko and he's my obnoxious 3-year-old Siberian Husky. I once left the bedroom door open and before the alarm even went off, his wet nose was in my face saying, "Is it time yet? Can we go?!?!"

As for energy... nah, not really. I've never really had a problem with energy. I have noticed my endurance is up and I'm walking/running farther and I don't get winded running up stairs or strolling along the beach. Man, San Diego is the city to live in for year-round exercise!

Jessica, way to go on the walking!!! That is GREAT! I'm looking for some dedication like that, so if you have any extra, send it my way!

I have some exciting news... yesterday, I went to Target over lunch to try on some clothes & I was so excited to fit into a size 16 skirt (which came out of the regular misses dept!) & a size 18 top! And they fit really comfortable, too! I didn't have to suck in my gut to wear them! The skirt was on sale for $5, so of course I had to buy it It's a knee-length dark gray skirt (looks like wool, but it isn't) with a cute belt. I have a cute black turtle neck sweater & some cool knee-high black boots I plan on wearing with it. It felt really good to buy something our of the "regular" side of the store. Of course, I'm nowhere near fitting into any of their tops yet (I hate having a big chest & broad shoulders!), but it still felt good

Anywho, how is everyone doing today? Hope you're all having a fantastic day.

Kayla, a 16!!!! You are shrinking before us! I have the opposite problem (Big ole' butt and thighs and moderate sized upper body.) I am proud of you!

Well all, I am leaving tomorrow afternoon for my 2 week long visit to my parents and Thanksgiving and a wedding (actually 2 now!) I don't think that I will make 205 by next Saturday, like I hoped, but maybe the diet-god will look kindly at me next week (or maybe my mom's scale will be off by a couple of pounds, so I at least think I've met the goal). Take care all, I'll hbe back in a couple of weeks (if not tomorrow morning before I leave)

Talk about being MIA........ LOL well, you wouldn't believe it. First a couple of weeks of sleep literally. Yes nearly 24-7 for two weeks of uncontrolable sleep. This was followed by a week of pseudo tumor attacks and just when I started to get human again, my back left for parts unknown without so much as a see ya!!!! Still, I am nearing a semblance of "normal" and a all will have to put up with me yet again. And you thought you had seen the last of me...HA ,HA! Never my Dears Never!!!!!!!!
The good news is our income is nearly normal again and life goes on. Hubby has laid new wood flooring in our hallway which was sorely needed and that old worn out carpet is no more. I have been cooking (as usual) in preparation of Hubbys family coming this Sunday. So Thanksgiving we are having a tad early. The stuffing is made and ready to go from freezer to oven. So is the fresh bread and pumpkin bread as well. The French Onion soup I am making tomorrow and will be in the freezer ready to heat the even they arrive. In truth I do not want to spend the whole time cooking so I an doing as much ahead as possible. Two peach pies are in the freezer as well. Everyone shall have good stuff to enjoy. The pumpkin and pecan pies I will make the day before. I made 8 dozen peanut butter cookies a little over a week ago thinking we would have a few left but I doubt it ,Hubby has made short work of them. You all would have laughed lke crazy if you had seen me cooking looking for all the world like the hunchback of Notre Dame!!!!! Pain pills got me through. Tom dropped by today so that was an added complicaton but such is life. It's not boring!!!!!!
Pam

Hi all. Well in a few short weeks I think my life will be normal again and I can think about getting off the bench and start losing some weight. It is these school courses. Honestly there isn't a ton of work, if I'd kept up with them that is. But with my work schedule (12 hour shifts) I just don't feel like doing anything in the evening except vegging on the couch. Then on my days off I try like mad to catch up on everything when there is so much to do I really don't feel like doing anything. Sounds like I am whining a lot doesn't it? I hate that. I have an essay to write for Monday and I've spent about the past 45 minutes just catching up on my e-mail and checking out my usual web sites. I saw an article in the paper yesterday about plastic surgery. This lady had a tummy tuck and was talking about how she was so much more confident now that she could wear form fitting clothes. That sounds kind of petty the way I have put it but she felt so much better about her body image. Of course it cost about $6,000 so I'd better start saving now. Maybe by the time I have enough money saved up I'll actually have lost all the weight I want to lose and be ready for a tummy tuck!

Anyway I'd better stop procrastinating and get on with this essay. Take care all.

hello all,

I have a problem and need some opinions.

Saturday my ex wants to come see the kids. I am supervising because I don't trust him right now. I have a meeting at 10AM and it goes until 3:00PM that day. I don't know if I should change my plans or keep my plans and tell him to stick it. What do you all think?

Keep your plans. Let him work around your schedule.

Amen, you start giving in now and wait and see what it leads to in the future. He'll be expecting you to jump through his hoops. You tell him what time is good for you and if that isn't good for him well then obviously he doesn't want to see his kids badly enough.

I agree, Tamara. If he really wants to see the children (that he basically abandoned) he will work around your schedule.

One more note: If you are concerned that your ex may try to take them or are otherwise concerned about their safety, PLEASE be sure to let their teachers at school know what's going on. You don't have to get into the dirty details, but please either visit them or send a note briefly explaining the situation. A fellow teacher had a girl in her class last year who went home with her non-custodial father. The mother was SO angry, but she hadn't told the teacher OR the school that the father was not to be around the child by court order. Thankfully, the girl was okay.

Jennelle

I agree... keep your schedule & he can work around it.