lottie--YEA, gotta love that! Whatcha going to do at the gym today?

*stretch*
Good Golly! Good Morning!
I had an enjoyable work day yesterday. My hammies and gluts are screaming but I can't wait to go back. I ended up working 6 hours. Luckily I packed a snack (1 soft taco and grapes) that turned into a light lunch. It was nothing like I expected. The older woman with arthritis??? She is not so old (60's), has some arthritis but is very active and wants to save her hands for golf. She is VERY particular about her gardens and house but she can afford to be. She is uber rich and uber nice (she provided sunscreen, etc, made sure I had enough ice water, generously paid me $15/hr!! :cb:)

With a surgeon's precision, I pulled weeds in flower beds, trimmed and deadheaded flowers, did some fertilizing. She lives on a huge beautiful compound in the ritzy part of town. The big house and gardens are too much for her to do on her own so she brings in help. She has a housekeeper, landscaper, pond guy, tree trimmer, etc. My BIL is a decorative painter and has done several of her room redo's. (She has a annual $25K budget for redecorating unless she is remodeling which she did last year.) Recently he noticed parts of her irrigation system were watering nothing. (Not a good thing :nono: in the desert.) She asked him to improve it so he has been there every Wednesday for about a month. In that month, he has saved her 15000 gals of water and they are still going through the system. He is also working on refinishing a spectator's bench at her private golf range. Yeah, I know!!! :yikes: I am so grateful. This is a good gig for me.

Today I have a Homeless Ministry meeting at church and I am undecided about walking there because of the smoke and ash in the air. I will also make a grocery run for fresh fruits and veggies.

B1: grits with cheese, cherries
B2: greek yogurt
L: still having soft tacos but I love them!!!
D: another beef patty with carrots and broc, skinny cow ice cream bar
E: ?

jab - I'm a former Michigander and my folks used to live 'up north' near Lewiston and Gaylord. Having a garden in that climate and soil is a big, big challenge. Hats off to you. Tuna pasta salad? Yum-mee! One of my fav summer dishes. I, too, usually do my worst diet damage when I don't have a plan. Shifting corporate plans and priorities are big time stressors but having a supervisor with whom you can commiserate can make it easier.

mj - large ovarian cysts, endometriosis, fibroid...BT,DT. Hope all goes well with the surgery. Maybe your story will get picked up by the online news sites (CNN) like some others on these boards. You're gonna be a star dah-ling!!!

lottie - Yay for going to the gym!!! And such a nice one, too!!

Beverlyjoy - How ya doin'??

jab and mj5 - just noticed your ONEDERLAND status!!!

:cheer2::cheer3: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! :cheer2::cheer3:

That's awesome!!!! I have added you both to the Official Onerland all stars list!!! :D

DixC Chix--WOW. That is a good gig, well, for you. LOL! I'm not a weed pulling kind of a gal..which means, I don't know which is a weed and which is a plant, LOL!!! Yep, me too...at this point, it is more of an inconvenience than anything. Oh geez, I don't know about all that hoopla.....

Sandi--Thanks! It's still kind of surreal.....

Tonight is Zumba and I am really glad! It's going to be hot, hot, hot, but that's ok! I have been stuck in my office all day because it is so hot, I'm ready to MOVE!

MJ5 and Jab, congratulations on Onederland!!!! How awesome is that? :dancer:

I'm only down a pound and a half, but it's a "real" pound and a half, not water. I might be down more, but last week ended up being two good/on plan meals a day, then a sudden "have to" eat out due to job.

I've been reading the Eat to Live book this week and wondering if I ought to try it. I can go without meat or sweets--not a problem--but eliminating dairy and bread/cereal stuff would be really difficult. :(

I'm ba-a-ack!
Mj and Jab -wowsy wow wow for onederland!!

It's been so hot here, I'm not motivated to cook. Just kinda blah -
Really need to plan and do some exercise. Will work on that this weekend -- starting and a plan.
today's food:
b: scram eggs/ 1/2 potato & salsa
l: grilled chicken on WW thin, barley & roasted veg
s: frozen custard, whole fat, full sugar - dang I couldn't resist, but it was only 1/2 c.
d: carnitas burrito/black beans, lettuce, tomato, salsa. yum

cleaned out the "junk room" - which is really the guest room, wow we had alot of junk!

Good Morning! It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!! I have my pre-op stuff, then I am going to run some errands, go to the gym, and get groceries.

Darkblue--Thanks! It is SO awesome!!!! CONGRATS on your loss!!! I'm not familiar with that, but it sounds pretty restrictive.

melinda--Hi! Thanks! your menu for yesterday looks yummy!!! LOL!!! Sounds like our "guest/junk room"

I have decided that next week during my "forced rest" after surgery, I am going to write down my weight loss journey so far. I will share it with you once I have it all written down. I have been sharing a lot on facebook, but I think it is time to "put it ALL out there" so to speak.

Have a fantastic day everyone!

mj - I spent my life (school, career) inside at a desk and now I want to be outdoors. I would rather do something anything outside than inside. I am looking forward to reading about your journey.

Darkblue - 1.5 pounds is a very good loss especially when you have those unexpected challenges. For me, restrictive diets just don't work for the long haul. And with 130+ to lose, I knew it would be a loooong haul! Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

melinda - Glad to see you're back. I have one of those junk/guest rooms, too. I cleaned a garbage bagful out this spring. Yum - burritos. Anything in a tortilla with salsa is yum!!

B1: coffee, greek yogurt
B2: grapes
L: Jason's Deli chicken wrapini (lunch with the gym ladies)
D: maybe lunch leftovers
E: water aerobics

I still have to go to the grocers for fruit and veggies and then prep pickles for Saturday Homeless Ministry bag lunch this afternoon.

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend, everybody!!!

What a day! The pre-op stuff went fine. Then I decided to do a little bargain shopping. I found a pair of 9 West cropped jeans that fit perfect at Marshall's for $10!!! I went to the mall and as I was leaving, my car just died. Awesome. Luckily, no one hit me....It took forever for AAA to show up and tow it. We talked to the mechanic at our garage and it sounds like the fuel pump, but obviously he won't know until he looks at it. Grrr! It could have been much worse, well...let's see if I am still saying that when the repairs are done! LOL!

DixC Chix--I think its great that you love planting and working outside. I wish I at least liked it. We have a huge yard and it could be gorgeous...but I just don't have the desire (or know how) to do anything with it. I am looking forward to writing about my journey! I have shared bits and pieces w/ some friends and they are very encouraging and can't wait to read the whole thing either.

Tomorrow is Zumba AND the gym. I didn't get to the gym tonight because it took so long w/ my car. I am not going to skip a workout, so I'll get it in tomorrow. I'll visit my grandmother and mom. Then of course, there is the usual "Saturday" cleaning/errands/laundry/pay bills, etc. Hubby has to work, so I will be his chauffeur so I can have his car for the day. Sunday and Monday I will probably borrow my grandmother's "Petey" (that's what she has named her PT Cruiser). I hate to ask her, but she doesn't drive much anymore. I am hoping my car will be fixed by Monday.

dixc, I need to get some stuff too. It seems like I'm always spending money. booooo! :(

mj, re: AAA, isn't that the way? :( Can't wait to ready our story!

darkblue, it's been over a month of a stall for me, I WISH I was down a lb and a half!!!! ;) Weigh in on sunday!

Well, Today was insanely busy, as a matter of fact, it's 11 p.m and it STILL is busy! I worked 11-3, then met up with bf and we got lunch, I got hummus wiht veggies and he signed up for the 3 free days at the gym. He was really nervous and scared but he came out of it okay, he actually didn't want to leave! It was great. :D

We were only there about an hour cuz they close early on the weekends, then we went and got a drink at a coffee shop, and then saw Super 8, which I liked but joey wasn't too impressed. :( Then again, he loved this past south park which I thought was stupid. Oh well.

ha.

Then we came home and now I'm doing laundry. Will this day ever end? Getting up early tomorrow and hitting the gym before work, and maybe for an hour after work.

woooo! :)

bf and I are going to the gym before work!

wooooo! :D I"m so excited he's actually doing this! (Don't want him to waste his 3 free days.)

He wakes up really late, so this is a big deal. ha. Also, I posted a blog about your significant other and if they are on this journey with you if you'd like to read. link below!

mj - isn't that just like a car??? They always, always breakdown when it is so inconvenient and puts everything out of whack. You're right - it could have been much worse...in the middle of nowhere with no cell coverage. BTW, nice buy on the jeans. Do you Zumba somewhere other than your gym?? Hope you have a good visit with Mom and G'mom.

lottie - its nice to hear your bf is enjoying the gym experience so far. I'm sure it helps that you are an enthusiastic partner. I certainly don't get male humor, I don't get the Three Stooges!

Hi everyone! Phew, I survived my back to back workout day, LOL! Actually, I feel great! I will probably crash, hard later, but it's all good! Our zumba class was AWESOME! We did 2 new dances--one is a cross step salsa, I LOVE it! The other one is to a new PitBull song called "Pause", that one is fun too. Then I went the gym and did my strength training. Now, I would NOT normally do both workouts the same day. BUT, the sheer fact that I was physically able to do so was pretty darn awesome.

lottie--YEA for the bf going to the gym!!! That is awesome! My hubby was a member at my gym for a year and I loved it when he went with me (or without me), but he decided not to renew :(

DixC Chix--Yes, I go to a dance studio for Zumba. They just recently added Zumba at my gym, but you still have to pay extra for the classes AND the instructor is terrible. If I have to pay for it, I want the BEST :) I had a great visit w/ my mom and G'ma, thanks!

Melinda and Beverlyjoy--Hope you are doing well and having a great weekend!

So, my car is still at the garage. I didn't get a message and I didn't catch the mechanic ... he doesn't technically have hours on Saturday, but he often works on Saturdays. (who is also someone I went to high school with) by phone. I don't feel comfortable calling him at home, so I just left a message on his answering machine at the garage. I'll stop down there on my way to work on Monday. I can take either my gma's car OR my brother's truck (duh!! Totally forgot, his truck has been sitting since jan when he was deployed!)

I BROKE MY PLATEAU! I lost 2 lbs! 228!

Yay!! :carrot::carrot:

Congratulations!