I didn't tell you I was thinking about this, because I didn't want to jinx myself, but I did it!

I went to step aerobics this morning.

I used to love this class, but the gym is close to my work, and the classes are at 6a.m. I have a 45 minute commute.

I stopped going when my back started bothering me, and never felt well enough since to brave that early morning walk up call.

But yesterday I made my lunch, packed my bag, and stuck my workout clothes right next to the toliet.

The alarm went off at 4:30. I turned it off. I got back in bed.

I had to pee. So, out of bed and into the bathroom. Since I made it this far, everything else was automatic pilot.

Funny thing, besides me there were two other women who were regulars of this class who decided today would be the day they returned. Perhaps 9/11 made us all re-commit to ourselves?

I used the small, baby step and didn't do too much, and so far my back is feeling OK. I won't really know until tomorrow.

I was looking for a change in my exercise routine. And I figured using the gym membership I already pay for would be better than spending $$ on a bike.

I will try to go all next week (4x Mon/Wed Body Pump and Tues/Thurs step) and then assess whether I can do this long term. If I do, here's an example of my Wednesday schedule:

4:30 - get up.
5:10 - leave house.
6:00 - gym class.
7:00 - shower.
7:30 - get to work.
4:00 - leave work.
4:45 - get home.
6:00 - volunteer at sanctuary.
7:30 - get home.
9:30 - go to sleep.

That's not much free time to get stuff done and bumps my bedtime up an hour, but on the other hand it eliminates having to motivate myself to workout in the evening.

To be honest, right now I am feeling horrible. Waking up that early is NOT fun. But I do have a wonderful sensation of satisfaction.

Monique - I think I will try to find those videos if these early classes don't work for me. Instructors personality does mean a lot, but for me it's also the music.

Jenn - how did dinner turn out last night? Any biscuits? I think I know the ones you're talking about - with herbs and cheese? I love that recipe!

And I don't know what we'll do when we move. We've lived in two apartments where we had two "legal" cats, and then two more. But now we have a dog as well! I think our next move will just have to be to own a house. A big house. I still want a greyhound.

welshbird - welcome! Your romantic weekend sounds divine. And 6/8 pounds is a lot of weight of lose, you should definitely see results. It's a pretty aggressive number for me, I can't lose that easy, so more power to you!

Do you have any specific things you are going to do to accomplish this? Food goals? Exercise goals? I find that when I concentrate on those goals, more than what the scale says, I have an easier time losing.

OK everyone, I'd just like to take up more space to apologize for taking up space. :lol: I know I am one of the more lengthy posters, and I try to keep it short, but I have no where else to say this stuff. So thanks for putting up with my ramblings!

Have a good day!

Hello all

made my chicken on Tuesday night like a good dieter...but i fell off the wagon last night for dinner...and i didn't work out either.

but, i got right back on and did fairly well today :D

problem is i am still putting on weight - i wore jeans today and normally they are not as tight as they were today - my legs have gotten bigger since i have been running - i don't understand!!

i stick to my diet 4-5 days a week, and on the days i mess up, it's not enough to add weight to my frame. plus, i burn about an entire pound of fat in exercise alone...puzzling!!

this is one of the reasons i have been hesitant to lift weights, but am hoping it will work out in the end.

really need to start looking for wedding dresses later this year (plus we need to set a date too - small details) - hence one of the reasons i have been trying to lose weight

work has been kind of stressful this week - my hard drive on my computer crashed on Monday and i have been attempting to catch up since then...:rolleyes:

signed up for Race for The Cure today over here in Dallas - my company even pays my entry fee - :cb:

Running is definitely one of my favorite means of exercise - especially at the gym where i can watch tv!! it will be interesting when i get running outdoors again - i think once it gets a little cooler i will try to run one day outside...

Monique - congrats on the pound!!

Welshbird - welcome! good luck on your goal

FM - great job on the early morning thing - i don't think i could do that now - i have to be at work at 7:00am!!

good night to all!

hi there.

how do iplan on losing thios weight??!! im a member of a gym already so i am planning on goin alot more than once a week, maybe 3 or 4 times, if i can find the time!! ive done well this week on the eating thing, and have kept strictly to what the sw book tells me to do, so hopefully, fingers crossed ive lose a couple of pound this week, ill let youknow later cos its the weigh in day today!!

4.30 am to excersise aye! thats a bit to early for me, even 6 o clock. i have trouble getting up at 7.30 when my kids get up!!! i tried to do an excersise video at home. dont know if they work though. im determined to do it and hopefully see results.

as for where we are goin on this romantic wkend, i have no idea! no where far and somewhere that doesnt cost a fortune, itll be romantic whereever we go cos its our first time away from the kids. ill keep you posted!

welshbird.

ps. let you know what my weightloss is later on.

oh yeah, by the way, thankyou for thewarm welcome to everybody, its sooo nice to talk topeople who are goin through the same thing as me.

welshbird

Off the wagon
 

Lucky 13, I am right there with you with how frustrating it can be to work so hard most of the time, and the minute you mess up your clothes let you know, and also how running can make your legs bigger...that's why I switched to walking a few months ago. If I ate perfectly, I'm sure I could see the difference

We all fall off that wagon every now and then, I guess it's willpower is something that slowly has to build. Even if you catch yourself before you eat needlessly just once a day orsomething, that's awesome.

HAve a great weekend everyone!:D

Happy Friday everyone!

My back is complaining a bit today (although my usual 20-minute walk did help), so I am not feeling optimistic that getting back to the gym will be in my cards.

I still want to try it next week and see though.

Last night I took a break. I didn't "overeat", I simply planned to eat some un-healthier stuff than I have been, while watching a movie. I haven't rented a movie for myself in probably a year. It was heaven!

I watched "What Women Want" while snacking on some taco mix (no tortillas), popcorn, and this yummy gooey dessert of cake/pudding/cool whip/kaluha/heath bars.

It felt wonderful! I am considering making Thursday my "day off" - for relaxing, not just eating "bad" foods.

Monique - I knew those pesky pounds weren't going to stick around long. I snuck on the scale too! When I was at the gym, it was just calling to me. And it shouldn't count because it wasn't "my" scale.

(I weighed 152 - with clothes, shoes, etc. Not too bad since I last weighed 148 completed naked)

Lucky - I know it's frustrating. It seems we've all been stuck for a while. If you are exercising that much (3500 calories is A LOT!), perhaps you aren't eating enough? Could your body be holding on to each calorie for dear life in order to keep up the pace?

If only that was all of our problems! :lol:

welshbird - sounds like you've got a good plan. I can't wait to hear where you decide to go. DH and I want to go somewhere for our 2 year anniversary in Feb. He wants a cabin in the mountain (Carolinas) I want a cruise. We'll see.

JMUKatie - you are so right! I always try to congratulate myself when I turn down dessert, or stay away from the chip bowl at a party.

I like to think of it as concentration, not willpower. When I concentrate on what I eat, I put the things I want in my body. When I "mindlessly" eat, that's when the junk get's consumed.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! It's going to be rainy here (again!).

Monique - Hi. Sounds like you are doing awesome!!!! Keep up the great work!

Well.. I havent totally rebounded from my tiny bit of depression that I mentioned in my last post. I'm feeling a bit better.. but havent gotten 100% on track in regards to my goals. Exercise is going ok.. just the rest isnt falling into place. I might start journaling. I used to keep an exercise journal until I moved last month.. then I stopped and havent started again. I should start that up and also keep track of food. But I'm not good at counting calories. I guess I should start though. I'm thinking about going low-carb next week.

Anyways..... enough rambling. I have so much to do.. I am just feeling overwhelmed right now. I've avoided posting as of late.. because I do not want to bring anyone else down with my negative vibes.

However, I do enjoy reading everyones posts (and FM.. your posts are not too long!!!!). They help me to stay motivated... and not totally give up.

FM - Getting up at 4:30?? Oh my.. you must be insane ;)

Lucky - Have you actually measured your legs? You might want to keep track of the measurements and give running a chance. You might get a slight increase in size as you gain muscle.. but its because of that muscle that you will lose the fat and eventually they will be smaller. Your muscle sizes depend upon your genetics and body chemistry I believe. And also you cant really target fat loss into a specific area.. so keep that in mind.

welshbird - I hope you meet your goals for your romantic weekend!

Jenn - I've been really tired too lately.. so I understand. And even when I go to sleep early.. I end up spending half the night awake. Have you tried any adidas brand of shoes? I find them to be really comfortable and light weight.


-Tanya

hello all

doing okay today - haven't made it to the gym just yet today - we'll see if my fiance wants to do anything tonight first. had to go to work today - i usually have fridays off, so it's not a lot of fun when i have to go in (plus, no overtime!!)

I really don't know if i have gained any muscle just yet - i should be getting my measurements taken again in about a week at my next personal training session - then i will know more :fr:

Tonic - don't worry - I don't plan on giving up running anytime soon - it is definitely the best work out for me right now

Jenn - I agree with Tonic - I have worn Adidas running shoes (Owego or something) for about 5 years now and i love them!! I have naturally wide feet, so they work well for me

Monique - that's really good you have been journaling - i bet if you get into the habit it's just like brushing your teeth!!

FM - that dessert sounds wonderful - making me hungry!

Welshbird - good job - you sound very motivated

JMUKatie - I am not sure what my problem is - the last time i was really into running, i lost about 8 pounds that month - but, that was also before birth control - it may/may not have an effect - the research shows it doesn't, but i am not so sure...:smug:

i have a pair of adidas shoes, but i think they are worn out. plus, they give me blisters on the insides of my feet-i think it is the way the inside is stiched-rubs against my feet. the other shoes usually give me toe blisters.

well i had a pretty good weekend. a friend came to visit & we had a lot of fun. did really eat that much this weekend-but we did drink a lot. saturday we went shopping-i finally bought some new jeans (size 10's, thank god, didn't have to buy 12's!) at american eagle. then on saturday night she & i & my bf went out a restaurant/bar type place, had some drinks & some appetizers, then went next door to a dance club. tortured my bf for about 2 hours while we danced & he just sat there (he is not a dancer unless he's really drunk! ;) she left on sunday morning. i spent way too much $$ this weekend but it is kind of hard not too when you have people visiting, you have to buy food, drinks, go places, do things, etc. oh well, it was fun.
monique-sounds like you are on the right track again-good for you!
i haven't weighed myself or even exercised since thursday. i might go to the gym tonight-my bf said something about going out for dinner so i am not sure. we'll see.
i found out yesterday that i have somehow lost/misplaced a really nice gold bracelet my bf gave me. i am so mad about it! one possible place it could be is at his parents house-i am hoping that for some reason they have just forgotten to mention it. i went to my gym but no one turned it in. i am afraid i may have left it there & someone has just walked off with it. i am going to make a little sign & put it in the locker room-hopefully if someone did pick it up they will be honest enough to return it. my other thought is that it may have fallen into the garbage can beside our dresser in the bedroom (i pray to god that it didn't ) but i doubt that because if i would put it on the dresser, i'd put it more to the middle of the dresser, not on the end of the dresser.
i just don't think it would have fallen off because it wasn't that loose & it had one of those safety clasp things.

it is cooling off this week, so i might be doing more running outside. the last time i went i had a good time-did all kinds of hills & felt really proud of myself.

well i better go do some work!

Remember that dessert I made on Thursday?

It fell into my mouth first thing when I got home on Friday! Complete mindless snacking commenced, and I felt sick almost immediately afterwards.

My eating habits were not the best over the weekend, but looking back I guess (besides the dessert) it wasn't too bad. It could have been considered a diet compared to how I USED to splurge.

So, I am back at 148 lbs. But, I'm looking at it like this: If I could lose 2 lbs this next week, I would still be at my lowest weigh-in!

And I was up at 4:40 this morning for BodyPump! My back is feeling OK right now, and what's more exciting is that I think I could sleep another 5 minutes and still make it on time!

Any little bit helps...while I'd consider myself a "morning" person - 4:30 is not morning, it's night.

Cat update: Rita is still with us. Right now it is up to her. We will be leaving the bedroom door open and slowly moving the cat litter to it's usual spot (other side of the house). If she will venture out and get accostumed to the house and other animals, she will probably stay.

Monique - sounds like you had a great weekend! I'm still planning to "treat" myself with dessert this Thursday, but it will a single serving from the store!

Jenn - your weekend sounds wonderful as well. I am sorry about your bracelet. I am a klutzy person and have a ton of jewelry I never wear for fear of losing/breaking. I don't even wear my engagement ring because it is old (5th generation) and I don't want to damage it. But then it's kinda silly to even have it.

Oh! I'm also on target with eating and think I may have figured out the reason I went overboard this weekend. I don't seem to be eating all the "fat" portions I'm supposed to. Perhaps that is causing me to crave? So, It's peanut butter for dinner tonight!

Have a good day everyone!

im not very motivated ata all. my total loss for last week was 1 pound!! and to top it off i think iput it back on!!

hubby and i have decided on a fun weekend instead now.1 like they say, all fun and no play! weve decided to go to a place called alton towers which is basically a humungous theme park> should be fun.

well all you guys sound very motivated to me! keep it goin. the running thing and class thing at that early in the morning ismotivation if ever i saw it. weldone to you, you will definatly see the results!!

want to write more butneed to go to bed otherwise ill fall asleep at the computer. ill come back tomoro. spk to you then

welshbird

Jumping off the dieting bandwagon!
 

hi everyone,
after thinking about it over the weekend, and reading on the internet, my books, etc, i've decided to temporarily, if not permanently, take a break from "dieting"-counting points, calories, fat, whatever-i'm done. it is making me crazy. i am tired of my whole day's happiness depending on whether or not i stayed within my points range. my biggest problem is eating when i am not hungry-and i am going to work on that. i realized this over the weekend, with my friend here, we only ate when we were hungry. it was a wonderful feeling for me. i think i have more emotional issue behind eating-self esteem, body image, etc. health wise-i don't really need to lose any weight. i am in a healthy weight range for my height, my bmi is okay. my cholestorol (sp?) is good. maybe my body fat percentage is high, i've never had it tested. i just need to accept myself as i am and work on loving myself, and realizing that i don't have to live up to the unattainable look that is projected in today's media. i need to stop comparing myself with others. everyone is different, and that is what makes us so special! i will continue to exercise because i enjoy it, not because i want to lose weight. i will still post here because i like you guys! i know i change my mind often, about dieting, what plan to choose, but i think this is best for me right now. i am still going to journal but it's more about my thoughts/feelings than just about what i ate.
anyway, not to push my thoughts on to anyone else, but i visited a very helpful (to me) website if anyone is interested:
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

okay-enough about me!

fm-it definitely sounds like you are on track. good luck on the two pounds. my lowest weigh in (back in like march) was 145, that lasted for about a day! i hope your back holds up for you so you can do the activities you want to do!

Welshbird-congrats on the 1# loss! hey, a pound is a pound is a pound! don't look down on it because it's only one. the longest journey starts with just one step!

monique-the brownie pudding cake sounds really good-i'll have to see if you put the recipe on our recipe thread.

well i better go do some work!

jenn

It was almost (gasp) EASY??? to get up this morning for step class.

And today I get to reap an extra benefit of doing this early classes - I am going home early and I get to do whatever I want because I already worked out! Yay me.

OK, so "doing what I want" means laundry, computer work, and rolling pennies. But I really like to roll pennies, and I will get to take a relaxing bath later knowing I got my todo list accomplished.

Food is right on target as well. For lunch I had some of that taco soup I posted in the taco soup thread - very filling and delicious.

Cat update: Rita actually walked around the kitchen some last night. DH has said nothing more of taking her back.

other animal news: our snake is pretty sick. She's blocked up for some reason. If she doesn't get things moving soon, it is surgury for her.

Ever tried to give mineral oil to a snake? Don't ask....

welshbird - never get sad that it's "just a pound". Those pounds add up. Someone posted on another site a great article about how no one ever wants to lose "just a pound", so it gets to hang around forever.

But, I do understand the frustration if you thought you had worked harder than that.

BTW - DH and I honeymooned at Disney World, so I can relate to wanting a "fun" weekend. Sometimes those are more romantic than "romantic" ones.

Jenn - I am glad you have made a decision that you feel good about. And addressing the underlying issues will make you such a stronger person all around. It is a difficult thing and I admire you for that.

And I'm glad you're still going to check in here!

How's everyone else doing out there? Take care!

Hi all- I'm a little late, but better late than never, right?

OK, I have several intros in the forums (one in this group, one in buddy-up and one in Alternachicks) if you'd like to read some personal info about me, but here are my goals:

1: replace all dairy and meat products in my house with soy or other vegan friendly foods.

2: Work on being able to walk better so I can start exercising (I have a sprained ankle that's trying to heal)

3: Complete 25 sit-ups daily (at least- hey it's a start)

4: Try to find a way to make tofu taste good (cause that is some nasty stuff!)

ok, that's for the remainder of this month. Next month I will come up with some actual goals related to weight loss....

Tankgirl

Just had to pop on again while I'm waiting for the compiler to finish...

Monique - The way the foodmover works, I have 3 fat "portions" every day. To give you an idea, a "portion" can be 2 tbsp. low-cal dressing, 6 almonds, or 1 bacon strip (he encourages healthy choices but gives portion ideas for everything).

The fat low-fat foods (your crackers or yogurt) is already accounted for, while fattier foods get multiple "portions". Peanutbutter is one protein and one fat.

It's my understanding that this basically follows the diabetic diet plan, and I enjoy it. If I don't eat some of my fat servings, I tend to get hungry and want to just binge.

If you are feeling satsified at the end of the day, you probably are getting enough fat from your regular foods.

Tankgirl - welcome! Sounds like you have some good goals for September. May I ask why you've decided to become a vegan?

I don't eat mammals, so I love trying out tofu products. You mentioned wanting to learn how to make tofu taste good. Have you tried tofu crumbles? They are usually kept with the tofu in the grocery store. They can be used directly in place of browned ground meat. I like them in spaghetti sauces, tacos, and chili.

I also like several other commerically made tofu products, but I'm not sure if you are looking for that kind of thing - if you are trying to be more organic and natural, they are not the way to go! But I will share more if you're interested.

Ooh! Except Amy's Organics are great vegetarian/vegan frozen foods.

I hope everyone else is on track and enjoying their day!

Frisco's Mom- I decided to go Vegan after reading some pamphlets with pictures in them. I had originally just planned to cut the meat out of my diet because meat just makes me feel awful (and gives me horrendus gas- not that you really wanted to hear about that). After seeing some of these pictures, though, i decided that it's probably a good idea to just find substitutes for anything animal related. I read all sorts of horrible things about what they do to all these animals- not to mention that they lace their grain with antibiotics and hormones which are passed on to humans when we consume those products. It just really struck a cord with me (not sure why now, but never before though). After alot of thorough research, i decided that this is the best choice for me- there are alternative ways to get the vitamins, minerals, and protein I need without eating animals or their products.

As far as tofu goes, I've only tried it once and it was the silken style that I had marinated. It was the texture that got me...it was like eating snails- yuk. I am not necessarily going entirely organic and I did see some other soy based foods in the grocery store that I would like to try. I have my own garden so most of my veggies will come from that (once it starts growing), but the meat substitutes, egg substitues, and things like that are hard to find where I live. There's a quote on a vegetarian website that says something along the lines of "I don't understand what is so absurd about asking people to cut meat out of their diet and eat well balanced meals when it is completely normal to cut people open to unclog their arteries and put them on powerful cholesterol lowering drugs for the rest of their lives". I am starting to see the bigger picture now- and I am also seeing how resistent to the idea of Vegetarians our local grocery stores are :(

Anyhow, that's my story lol

Tankgirl

Hi everyone. It's good to be back on program. Sunday and Monday were hard days. But Saturday I managed to do all 4 things without even thinking about it! It's getting easier as I keep with it, I think. Although I do have nights like last night, when I just want to scream!! I was talking to a friend (who was my roomate in college) and she is losing and losing and losing weight and not even trying. She isn't working out...but yet she's getting smaller and she's eating whatever she feels like! UGH so not fair! Here I am trying so hard to be good to stick with a decent calorie range and to get some exercise most days and it's like pulling teeth to lose weight. I weighed tonight, and no loss yet this month! But it is my TOM so that may be making a difference, I definitely hope so!!

Wow there are a lot of vegetarians on here. That is really cool! Especially since, it's so rare to see any down here in the South.Plus, it helps because there are so few things that are out there for vegetarians to do to lose weight. Anyone else ever notice how most diets aren't made for those of us who don't eat meat?

Welshbird--One pound loss is still loss and that's what is important! Hang in there more loss will come! Sometimes it just takes a while to get it going and slow loss is more likely to stay off anyway...so CONGRATS on the 1 lb loss.

FM- It sounds like you have things going great! Wonderful! I can't imagine getting up at 4:30 for exercise! But I admire you for sticking with it! I'm thinking about trying to go to a gym around here in the AM. We will see....I know that's what manage to help me lose the most last time that I got down into the 120's so I am probably going to push for it! I would love to be back in the 120's by Christmas.
Also what you said about the fat portions makes sense. I've discovered that for me, that I am most likely to binge in the afternoon about 4 or 5. So if I eat a fruit around then I'm okay...but I know the binges hit everyone at different times.

Monique--Good job on sticking with just one helping of the Blue berry cobbler! And thank you for continuing to check on me!! That means a lot and makes me that much more determined to stick with this!

Jenn--I'm so glad that you've made a decision and it sounds like a healthy one and I'm glad you will be checking in with us every once a while. I would miss you, if you didn't.

Tank- I usually get most of my soy through other products such as vegeburgers etc....and let them worry about the flavoring! And I completely agree with FM about the Amy's Stuff. It's GREAT! Expensive but I've never had anything of hers that wasn't good. I also prefer the Morning Star frozen stuff. I LOVE the buffalo wings that are vegetarian. They are spicy...but good! Haven't found any fake chicken I care for though! But they have good veggie burgers, wings, etc....I've heard their breakfast links are bad so I haven't tried those....but I know they came out with a great chili and a great pot pie. I tried those last week. It's just trial and error on finding what you like, or at least that's what I've discovered down here...but good luck and let me know if I can be of any more help with the veggie stuff. I'm not vegan, but I'm vegetarian as is Monique I think. Am I wrong, Monique?

Anyway...I hope all is going well for everyone! I am off to do my exercise video so I can say I have my exercise for the day!!

Talk to you all tomorrow,
Betty

well, thankyou every1.

i know a pound is a pound n all that but its just that i thought id worked so hard at it that week that i was a little dissapointed, thats all. nevermind tho. this week is a different week and 1 lb loss will meanive lost 2 lbs.

fm, how do you manage with a 4.30 start?!! great determination. i love it!!!!!

is every1 a vegetarian on this 1? im not, im afraid, love my sausages too much.

take care and keep strong

welshbird

Welshbird,

No not everyone is vegetarian. But there are a lot of people on here to eat vegetarian foods. Supplemented with others. I am vegetarian, so it is kind of neat to hear talk about the foods I enjoy.

Betty

145. 1-4-5. That's what the scale said this morning and I am estatic!! (And yes, it is one of my weigh-in days so I wasn't cheating)

I thought I was going to bounce around 146.5 forever!

OK, not that 145 is that much lower, but it's a start. While I'm sure going to the gym is helping, you can't lose 3 lbs in 2 days, so I surmise that the popcorn I ate last Thursday and Sunday simply had a lot of salt and I was retaining.

Tankgirl - if you have access to silken tofu, the best thing is to make smoothies or desserts out of it. You want a firmer tofu for marinades. I have a good tofu chocolate mousse recipe I can post if you want...

I understand the compassion for animals. I basically have a part-time job through volunteering at a sanctuary for unwanted exotic animals. I have some video of canned hunts which make me ashamed to be a human.

Betty - glad to hear from you! I can relate to the friend thing. I just had a friend (5'5" skinny runner who I've witnessed eat pizza, chips, etc.) tell me she's getting fat. I probably outweigh her by 20 lbs.

I am sadistically loving the early morning thing. It is such piece of mind to know that I started out the day on a good note.

welshbird - Congrats on sticking with it, those pounds will add up to 10 soon!

I am not a vegetarian. I eat fish and poultry, but I've always enjoyed looking for soy products. If they are prepared items (boca burgers), it is an easy quick meal. And often a tofu product is less fattening than the real deal. (Not always though - so check the packages!)

I honestly don't know how I get up so early. Except that I was getting soo frustrated with my exercise (or lack of) that I was willing to do anything.

I prepare EVERYTHING the night before. Gym bag with work clothes is packed, lunch is completely packed and awaiting cold packs, and my gym clothes are sitting by the toilet. Once I get up to have use the restroom, the rest is easy.

Oh yeah, and I program my coffee maker. I LOVE my programmable coffee maker!

Well, I made to the class again today, and I'm on track to have a great day eating-wise as well. Packed some tacos, and will make turkey sloppy joes for dinner (it's a higher calorie day).

Have a great day everyone!

You know, I don't see how I managed to lose 3 lbs in one week, but my scale seems to think I did. I know I retain water, but I usually don't retain *that* much water. Anyhow, I think yesterday was my weigh in day..not real sure actually...so I weighed in today and scale told me 165 (you'll recall that I said I fluctuate a bit in the upper 160's), so I suppose next week will tell if I am actually losing any weight or not. Aside from gradually going Vegan, I am watching my calories and fat intake (because some vegan foods are quite fatty indeed!). Frankly, I think I eat too few calories- I range anywhere from 800-1700 per day depending on how i feel that day, whether I remember to eat or not and what I do eat. I try really hard to keep it on an even keel, but I have alot of trouble with it. I don't know how I manage to gain weight like that except that maybe my body holds on to all it can because of how sporadically I eat...*shrugs*

Anyhow, that's where I am at the moment...just trying to get into better habits.

Tankgirl

Hiya
 

Well I seem to be on the mend. I worked out Sun/Mon/Wed and I feel good. I am starting to get on track with water. I was bad and weighed myself on saturday. I had lost 1 1/2 pounds (which is good), but I need to stop weighing myself.. its really bad for me.

FM: CONGRATS on weighing 145!!!!! I am so happy for you!

Monique: Congrats to you as well on your weight loss!! You seem to be doing really well staying on plan. You should be very proud of yourself. Keep up the great work!

Lobocal: My TOM really increased my weight so much it depressed me. I think the moral of the story is not to weigh during TOM :) Great job getting back on track though... I had a a hard time doing it too.

Tankgirl: Welcome to the challenge and congrats on the 3 pound loss!! Being vegan must be very difficult when going out to eat.. which is probably good incentive to cook at home huh? Maybe I should go vegan..... err maybe not :)

Okie.. I have so much homework its insane. Back to the grind!

I made it to 6am classes all four days this week! Whew, today was tough because I hardly got any sleep. Stayed up until DH got home (10), then tossed and turned, then he and Rita kept me up.

But I made it! Can't imagine how decedant it will feel to sleep in until 6 tomorrow. hehe.

And today is Thursday - my "de-stress" day (ironicly - I just got pulled away from my desk for about 20 minutes for something VERY stressful).

But anyway, I am getting a massage this evening, then stopping at Boston Market to pick up dinner (chicken, steamed veggies, cinnamon apples, cornbread and dessert Mmmm), then to Blockbuster to pick up another movie. Won't watch it tonight because of the Survivor premiere, but DH is gone this weekend (Camping with female friend - how cool of a wife am I?) so I will have Movie night on Saturday.

I can't wait! I know I am way too excited, it's very pathetic. But oh well...

I think my weekend is going to interupted by a vet visit. Snake has not had an "movement", and I don't know how long she can continue. Plus, I cannot give her mineral oil with out DH!!

And Rita's ears are bothering her. Great, she barely will come out from under the bed, and now I have to be a meanie and clean her ears.

Monique - I was a vegetarian for about 3 years while I was a teenager, but I must admit that I eat more vegetables now than I did then! Ever since I've always enjoyed trying soy products.

How are you doing? Any of that evil caramel corn left?

TankGirl - Congrats! If you have made a real effort to eat well this past week, then 3 lbs. is not unheard of. Take it for what it's worth and use the great feeling to do well next week!

I think you are smart to vary your calories so much. It is really true that you feel better when you listen to what your body needs. Sometimes that can be 1000 calories, sometimes 2000.

Tanya - glad to see your face and hear that you're feeling better. I can't tell how many times TOM has snuck up and pulled a whammy on me! I like keeping a chart of my weight and when TOM is - that way I can remind myself the next time it comes around.

Hope everyone is doing well. I am riding a high...I will try to not be dissapointed come Monday no matter what the scale says.

BTW - During this time of bouncing around 146.5, sooo many people commented that my face was looking thinner. I think there may be some truth to the whole concept of your body "catching up" when you lose weight.

I'll just try to remember that next time!

I am sitting here dying to leave (struggling with concepts that make brain hurt - prolonged exposure must surely be fatal) and I am sneaking on the web more than I should, so I thought I'd post two funny things that happened to me today.

Funny thing #1. I brought a rarely worn outfit to wear to work today. It had been tight last time I wore it. It has some weird pants with a half elastic and half cloth waist.

When I put it on, it almost fell off! The elastic half and my large hips (that's a proud statement, BTW) kept them up, but there was literally about six inches of cloth hanging down from my belly button!!

Now remember, I'm at the gym. 45 minutes from my house. 20 minutes before I plan to be at work.

But, I did not panic at all because the safety pin fairy had been already been by, and sprinkled one right on the changing bench. So, yay to the safety pin fairy and yay to me for getting into such a silly situation!

Funny thing #2. Since I am going to have a larger dinner than usual tonight, I was very frugal with my sweet potato for lunch. It was a large sweet potato anyway, probably ½ of it would be considered one portion, so I took less than 1/3 of it, cut it raw, and packed it for lunch.

When lunchtime rolls around, I put it in the microwave for 6 minutes like I always do with all my potatoes.

Do you see the issue here? This was not like "all my potatoes" - it was almost 2/3 smaller! I had sweet potato jerky for lunch.

Which didn't taste too bad actually, it was kind of good that way….but it just goes to show what happens when you don't adjust your way of thinking when it comes to your portions!

Fell off the veggie wagon..
 

ugh...well, i broke down and drank some milk today. The soy milk is just so nasty! I bought some 2% for the kids because they weren't going for the soy at all. I also had minestrone in it- it had some animal product in it :( Well, I *did* admit that I have stuff in my house that has meat in it still...I'm not keen on just throwing it out, but I'm not keen on the idea of actually eating it either- what's a girl to do? :shrug: Oh yeah- and I ate some supreme pizza last night. I have run out of vegetarian stuff and we can't buy groceries unti tomorrow (payday). I have one lb of hamburger left that I said I would cook this weekend, but man I'm really dreading it- I may just have to make a big salad and eat that myself and let the rest of the family be carnivorous. I thought I was going to gag trying to get that pizza down...even though it probably wasn't real meat anyhow (you know, a cheapie party pizza). Anyhow, I am *almost* out of meat products so I can start fresh with my grocery shopping. Gosh, I felt so good until I ate that pizza, but it really grossed me out!

On a better note, despite my ankle injury, I managed to dance around my house while trying to clean it today. It wasn't very strenuous, but at least I was up and moving- actually it was easier to dance than to walk... :?: I dunno- seems a little odd to me, but whatever. I am going to try to get my tennis shoes on tomorrow and see if I can walk well enough in them to maybe take a very short walk.

Monique: I *love* caramel corn- it would have been long gone if it were in front of me!

FM: That's great! Glad the safety pin fairy visited! I wish I had that problem...well except that I can't buy any new clothes...

Tankgirl

I'm feeling a tad witchy (or something that rhymes with it) so bear with me here…

Yesterday was a great de-stress day. I was very happy to find out that the masseur I had previously (which I thought had quit) was still there and gave me a great massage.

Dinner was perfect, and I felt very full but without eating to the point I was sick. And while buying dessert, I considered getting 3 (2 for me, 1 for DH), but I told myself I wasn't kidding anyone, DH almost NEVER eats dessert when I buy them, so it was really going to be like 3 for me. So I only got 2. And only ate 1 ½. I was pretty impressed with myself.

The problem I had with yesterday is that DH is going to be gone all weekend. I volunteer weekends, he doesn't. So, while I clean the bathrooms (men do NOT know how to clean bathrooms), do the grocery shopping, most of the dishes and generally tidy, he cleans the house on the weekends.

Did he even make an attempt yesterday? Nooooooo….Now, I had asked him to fold some laundry that had been sitting on the floor since Tuesday. He decides I meant for him to do ALL his laundry. He literally said to me, "Well, you asked me to do laundry…" My note specifically only mentioned that one pile. Why can't men break down things and multi-task? It is ALWAYS all or nothing.

And it's not fair because I can't be mad about the vacuuming (which I also specifically asked him to do), because he did "laundry" all night. Hello? How are you "doing" laundry during those 30 minutes that the machines are doing the work?

Hurmph. Perhaps I'm pissed because vacuuming is my second-least favorite cleaning activity. Dusting comes in first, and I have to do that tonight as well.

And don't tell me that I could let it go for a week, because a lot of times DH skips many dusting items. ("Did you dust?" "Yes" "Did you dust the coffee table?" "Yes" "It's funny how it gets so dirty so quickly…." "….")

For someone who finds being called a liar the worst insult ever, perhaps he should confess his dusting indiscretions. I mean, come on, does he think I'm BLIND???

Besides that, I am pissed off because it has come clear this week that I will not be able to attend my 10-year high school reunion, one of my reasons to lose weight and become a complete knockout.

I can't go because someone who shares duties with me booked a trip without asking about my schedule. Her attitude is, "Why don't we train someone else?" Gee, call my responsible, but since the two of us are supposed to be in charge of this, how about we live up to the commitment and not foist it on others?

If it sounds like I'm being a stuck-up martyr, let me assure you that if these were copying/filing-type duties, I'd be willing to consider it. But this has to do with caring for a disabled animal who needs consistency in her care-taking and every little detail of her life must be documented. The only reason two people rather than one are caring for her is so that the primary keeper (her) can get some days off and there is someone to cover when a keeper is out of town.

There are other reasons why I can't go, but this is long enough already. Suffice to say, while I am feeling a tad virtuous and high-and-mighty for not just booking my trip and ASSUMING everyone would pick up my slack, it is annoying as **** that everyone else in the world isn't as considerate.

To be honest, I really don't care that much about the reunion. It's just that it was a made-for-TV-movie waiting to happen. I was a gross, uncomfortable geek in high school - now I have a great job, a MS in physics, the coolest volunteer position ever, and a husband who looks like James Dean.

Hurmph. I said I was feeling witchy.

I hope no one finds this post horrible or makes them feel different about me. I truly love my husband, he tries so hard to please me.

And I am really not that upset over the whole reunion. As you see above, it is pretty shallow reasoning that makes me want to attend in the first place. I am not a shallow person, so it was very easy for me to give up the idea of going.

But these nit-picky things just kind of fester in my mind, and I felt the need for a good temper tantrum. Thank you for listening.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled weight loss, already in progress….

wow! you guys have sure been busy posting! & i have been busy at work. i am lost in a sea of paperwork the last few days. my boss is going away for 2 weeks starting on monday, so it's a last minute rush to get all kind of s**t together. aaauuuugggghhhhh!!!!
monique-i don't know if i missed it or what, but i see you are down to 136. good for you! also congrats last night. i know the feeling. i'll sit there thinking about all the things I can eat when my bf leaves or goes to bed. but honestly, this last week since i've been "non-dieting" i haven't really thought about it!
FM-a massage sounds soooo good right now! the last time i had one was after christmas-maybe january or february-my bf & i went w/g.c.'s i bought as an x-mas gift for both of us.
i am not a vegan or a vegatarian (sp?). i love steaks, hamburgers, chicken, etc. you would think i would be anti-meat the way i love animals.

i hated high school. i would never want to go to class reunion in a million years, except for if maybe i were a multi-billionaire & could take my private helicopter. hhhehheheheheh.

anyway, back to the mess!

everyone have a nice weekend!

Monique - The homework is kicking my *** right now. I really should drop my pottery class, but I love it. Although I am a bit frustrated with it today.. but I am sure that will pass. Right now I have my first project for compilers and also for networking in the queue. I hope to get done with the compilers this weekend and start/finish my networking project. I *really* want to get ahead this weekend. I am not necessarily behind.. just feel like deadlines are approaching.

I am actually getting exericse in. I am trying to go Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday. Friday is optional because its tough to get in before the gym closes and I usually do stuff.

So I am doing the best I can :)

I hope everyone has a a great weekend!!!!!!
-Tanya

Hello all

hope everyone's week has gone well - from all the reading, it seems like it is...

mine has gone okay - started off bad though :( - was sick as a dog on Monday - don't know if it was something I ate for lunch or what, but during a 2.5 hour meeting in the afternoon sitting right behind the heat from an overhead projector, i had to go to the restroom at work and get rid of my lunch - twice...I normally work until 5:30 but finally at 5:00 after my second "return-to-sender" I headed home to get stuck in 1 hr worth of traffic. there is nothing worse than feeling unbelieveably sick and not being able to just drive home!! that night i got sick 2 more times before i finally fell asleep. the next day i stayed home and went to the doctor - :?:

i am feeling much better since tuesday but still haven't made it in to the gym yet this week...

on the plus side though - i haven't had much of an appetite either -- i'll lose weight one "weigh" or another (cheesy joke - I know!! I couldn't resist)

anyway, i wanted to get in on the discussion about men and cleaning - my fiance is really good at cleaning - the two times a year he actually does it!! same with laundry - he hates to iron, so he will make sure when the clothes come out of the dryer, he hangs them or folds them right away - me, i'm too lazy for that!! one plus is that when i got home last saturday evening he was actually cleaning the apartment - that was the best thing ever!!! :cp: even though it's the first time in a really really really long time he has helped me out, the fact that i didn't have to ask or ***** made it all worth it!! now i expect it...whoops! - shouldn't get my hopes up for that one!!

hope everyone has a great weekend! :dancer:

Emily

hooo...I was in a snit this morning! Hehe. My back is bothering me (I think I have been slouching more lately), and I think it just brings out the worst in me!

Thanks for letting me rant. DH has actually gotten a TON better about cleaning than when I first met him.

Tankgirl - everyone takes some adjustment to living a different lifestyle. And going from a meat-eater to a vegan is very tough. It sucks that you don't have many "ready made" choices at the grocery store. If you decide to just eat salad while everyone has the meat, please make sure you are getting enough protein and iron! I used to get a magazine devoted to vegetarians to keep me up-to-date on getting all my nutriants. It also had great recipes!

Monique - hey, we all love cheesecake, and no way should we pass it up for the rest of our lives! But kudos for keeping it to just the cheesecake. That is something I am still trying to master.

I am holding off on buying clothes until the rest of the weight is off, but I can't wait!

Jenn - I pretty much hated HS too, but that had to do with many personal things that were just aggrevated by snotty HS people. I really just wanted to go back home (haven't been in 3 years) and get to see my parent's farm, go up to our summer cabin, etc. But I am thinking that instead of the reunion, perhaps I will just go in August. All of my family (Brother, Dad, Mom) have B-days in August!

I'm glad you had a good week "non-dieting" week. How are you feeling?

Tanya - good for you! Getting exercise AND getting ahead in classes...you go girl! Exercise is always the first thing to leave my schedule when I get busy, yet it's the one thing that makes me feel good! I'll have to remember that come Christmas time.

Emily - poor dear! That sounds absolutely miserable. I can't stand getting stuck in traffic, and that's when I'm feeling well! What did the Dr. say? Do you remember what you ate for lunch? After I've been sick like that, I usually get sick at the smell of whatever food I last ate.

My DH can iron better than me, and sew better than me. I'm actually not sure why we own an iron. If it's wrinkled, I wear it wrinkled. Fashion Plate, I'm not. (I also hardly ever makeup and don't own a blowdryer)

Cat Update: Rita is a bed hog! I woke up hovering on the edge, only to find a fluffy lump wedged between DH and I. Somehow she goes from 6 to 300 lbs while sleeping and could not be budged. I think I will kick her out tonight. She has to learn to live in the whole house, not just under/on the bed.

Well, I hope everyone has a good weekend! The snake has to have surgury, but I have to call back for an estimate and schedule the appointment. I hope they can do it tomorrow. I can't imagine how it feels to be blocked up that long!

Weeeeellllll, I have decided to just got vegetarian. It's a start and I can always dump the dairy later on if I still want to. I *do* want to, but I just have very limited choices n what to replace it with. Our grocery store has Morningstar Farms, Gardenburger and Boca Burgers and that's about it. They have tofu, soy cheese (that are gross and VERY expensive), and ground soy (wanna be hamburger meat). Oh and wannabe chicken strips. I found a whole 2 cans of soup that aren't made with beef or chicken stock, and their rice is limited to brown and white. Great selection of beans though! I think I can manage on what's available, but I bought a multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement anyways. This weekend I treated myself (I do that about every other weekend)- we went to Quiznos and I had a veggie sub and I got a smoothie from Smoothie King- it was delicious!

My foot is doing better- I think I may actually be able to take a short stroll by next weekend. I had attempted it earlier, but it just wasn't happening.

Well, I better go find out where my kids are...haven't seen them in a while.

Tankgirl

A happy Monday to all. How was your weekend?

Mine was uneventful. I didn't eat the best I could, however it was better than some of my past weekends. It is TOM as well, and I managed to hang on to last week's loss, so I am happy. Happy and back on track.

DH says we have to give Rita back. I think that's because he spent the weekend in a 5 cat/1 dog/1 snake/1 ginuea pig-free house. We'll see.

Snake might not have surgury! She passed some stuff this weekend. Dr. took another X-ray today and wants her to have 1 more mineral oil treatment, 24 hours in a warm bath (how in the heck do I ensure she stays in there for 24 hours?? And keep it warm??), and then leave her be for 3 days and see if anything more progresses.

Do you know how difficult it is to discuss a snake's bodily functions with your grandmother??

Besides many euphemisms, I had a great conversation with my grandma last night. Turns out they are getting a car this week (both were totalled this spring - g-ma won't drive anymore, and it's possible that g-pa shouldn't/can't). And they put their condo in MI up for sale.

This brings tons of feelings/questions into play. I hate that they are getting old, when for so long they acted so young. They traveled extensively, and had a good hand in raising me.

...I also wonder if I will get the new car if it turns out g-pa can't drive....horrid thought I know...but still, they keep mentioning how my current car is getting "ancient" (octogarnian's are calling my 5-year-old car "ancient"..hehe.)

Another bright note in the conversation is that she said my brother has announced the wedding date! (I love his fiance) It's June 28th, which is about 2 weeks after his graduation. Hehe. After having such a long engagement, I assumed they were going to wait until they were free from my parent's aid a little longer than 2 weeks...but now I have a new time and reason to go home this summer. Assuming....(they are young, and come on, I had doubts that *my* wedding was going to occur, so why not wonder about others?)

On the health-front, I made it to the gym this morning but the instructor overslept and by the time she got there, I was feeling good on the elliptical trainer.

My back hurts which is soooo not fair because everyone practically coddled me while volunteering this weekend - it was possibly my least-strenuous weekend since April!

But I didn't sleep well all weekend, so perhaps I twisted and turned too much. At any rate, I think it was a good thing that I didn't do an actual class today. I did 20-minutes in intervals on the trainer, and got to work early. Which means I can leave early. yay me.

I shall cease babbling now.

Tankgirl - good luck with all of these life changes. I think you are doing the smart thing to play around with it. I love Quiznos too, but the ones near work have horribly service.

Monique - Glad you had a good weekend. You certainly seem over your plateau. Could it be for me as well? We shall see on Wednesday... How is the diet coke going?

Everyone - hope to hear from you soon. Have a good day!

good afternoon everyone! i can't beleive it's monday already. :(

i had a nice weekend. went to my first pilates class on saturday. now, i think i will like pilates, but the problem is it 30 min away. it's only 12 miles but it's like 12 miles of traffic lights. ugh! and my first trip there (i have been in the area before but not in a few months) i come to find out one of the roads is under construction. okay-take detour. problem is, i see NO SIGNS FOR A DETOUR. I see one going the opposite direction saying "follow detour" but nothing in my direction. so i drove for a while, and then decided to stop & ask someone, who got me back on track. I ended up getting to the cglass 25 min late! but she actually didn't start activities until I got there. She must have been talking the whole time. Anyway, i was able to go the usual way home, apparently the detour did not apply to the south side of the same road. But I'll have to take an alternate route "To" next time. I hope it's not longer (time wise). I guess i Really don't mind driving there-because what else am i gonna do on a saturday morning anyway. And it doesn't seem like it is 30 minutes because of the start/stop/start/stop flow of the traffic. The class is only saturday mornings from 11-12. I hope we don't get any snow on those days (the class goes through December)!

Monique-congrats on 135!!! it seems like you are really back on track! I am happy for you!! I am happy to report that i have not gained any weight on my "non-diet". :) :) I am definitely "snacking" less, and I feel less & less need to "sneak" food. It is a nice feeling.

I have been looking on the internet for stories to encourage me, and I print them out so that I can read them from time to time. It think it helps to read about other people who have overcame their "obsession" with dieting.

just to throw my two cents in-i take a multi vitamin, calcium, and vitamin C. I read somewhere that if you are on the pill & exercise regularly you should take extra vitamin c. don't ask me why, but i guess it can't hurt. It is only an extra 500 mg daily.

FM-my bf can sew & iron, but he'll only do it if it is 100$% obvious that I do not want to do it, and then he gets all pissy about it. as much as i hate to admit it, i think it he is the old fashioned type that thinks certain things are "womens work" and certain things are "mens work". he denies it though. he does help with the cleaning but i definitely do more than he does. yesterday he broke down & did the dishes. you think i would be happy about this, right? but he says that the garbage disposal "quit working" yeah, why is it that it only stops working when you use it?!?!?!?! I'll have to call the landlords & have them come replace it again. this is the second time. then he said "he did the dishes to be nice to me & so i could relax" and in my head i am thinking "oh so normally it is Jenn's job, but you did me such a big FAVOR" i am such a ***** sometimes. i didn't say that of course, but i was thinking it. i should just be happy he did the dang dishes! (there were a lot of them!)

FM-how is rita-still hogging the bed??

well i better go do some work. going to the gym tonight-aerobics class. yesterday i did 45 min treadmill jaunt, no running, just walking (high speed & incline-my legs are sore today!) and weights.

ttyl,

monique,
congrats on the job! when do you start the new job? what exactly will you be doing?

MSN.Com actually just had a link on sunday about getting over a bad body image. It was a link to lifetimetv.com Unfortunately it was only there for the day. I went to lifetimetv.com to try to find it again but I haven't yet.

well i better go!

Can you guys believe it's the last week in September? The first half of the year always drags (no work-holidays until Memorial day) and the rest of it just flies. My mother asked for ideas for Christmas last night. Eek!

I admitted it to myself this morning in the gym shower - I cannot keep up the pace with these classes. I noticed in my posts and in my journals that my back has been bothering me more for almost a week.

I really like the idea of having my exercise done and over with before the evening, so I think I will try to still make it to the gym. I'll use the cardio machines and talk with my personal trainer friend about a weight routine.

We'll see if I can keep up this schedule, and maybe I can work in a class here and there when I feel up to it.

I'm feeling pretty blah this week - all those family things going on, my future up in the air (2 years future-time, but I am always the girl with the plan), on top of the fact that I am nervous about weighing in tomorrow. I haven't had a span of consistent losses since the beginning of August. But even if I just maintain on through Christmas, I would end up weighing 5 lbs less than last year's Christmas goal (which I was about 10 lbs over Dec 25, 2001).

I just have to keep focusing on how far I've come, not how much further I have to go.

Monique - I'm so excited for you! What's your new job? I can't remember off hand if you were actively looking, or did this just fall from the sky?

I gave up trying to understand how bad caffeine/nutra-sweet is for you. I think your body will tell you what it needs.

Jenn - I'm so glad your "non-diet" is working for you. Way to go with getting to the class! I would probably have given up and driven home.

I also enjoy success stories and particularly like reading diet journals online. It is nice to read about other people struggling and overcoming with my same obstacles.

Rita is still a bed hog. And she's still there to hog it. She is becoming more adventurous and I think I will put the litter box back in it's room (cat's own the 2nd bathroom) and see what happens. We see the friend who we borrowed her from tomorrow. I hope DH doesn't say she has to go yet!

Well, I guess I should go get stuff done. I really haven't adjusted to getting up so early yet - I definitely do not have as much energy to work as I usually do. (Such a pity, I know) On the other hand, I fell asleep quite well last night with no drugs. Not something that usually happens to me...

Take care everyone!

NUTRA SWEET???? That stuff is horrible for you.

Go here. Read. Decide for yourself.

http://www.321recipes.com/aspartame.html

Your life, it's all up to you, but here is the truth about the product.

Tankgirl
(Sorry, to just dash in and out, but am quite busy today)

Uhhh whatever
 

Please do not quote something as truth
when there is evidence to support both sides of the arguement. It is a matter of opinion at this point.

Nutrasweet is not necessarily bad for you.

For every article that you read that it is bad for you.. there is one that say it isnt.

I'd also like to point out that there a couple of organizations that have been plastering the web with their propaganda about nutrasweet.
A lot of it is unfounded research. You can not just read an article and believe it.. where are the references? What makes these references valid?

Choose what you want to believe and what you do not. Not everything published on the web is fact.

So lets not continue the cycle of how nutrasweet is going to kill you when its really something people should do the research themselves and come to their own conclusions.

Oops. I guess, "I gave up trying to understand how bad caffeine/nutra-sweet is for you." didn't come across as I meant...I agree with Tanya - for every bad thing you hear, there is a good thing. (And this goes for so much more than aspartame...you know how confusing it is to decide how to eat right!).

Anyway, on to a less controversial subject...my weigh in! I am pleased to say that I lost another 1.5 pounds. That puts me .5 pounds over my goal for September.

And I am very pround of myself for not over-eating last night. I was in a huge amount of pain, and prescription medication made me slightly stoned, but did not take away the worst of it. I never realized how uncoordinated I get when I'm in pain - I think DH was worried when I dropped 1) a 1/4 full box of pasta 2) a carton of mushrooms 3) my fork, all within an hour. (He was very nice and swept up the spills, he's sick too so that was extra nice)

I also get hungry and want some "comfort" food when I am in pain, but I staved it off with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner (with stir-fry vegetables, what strange taste I have!).

I went to bed early and made it to the gym to do the elliptical trainer. I will talk to a friend about a lifting routine tonight. I already have one, but wonder if I should change things up now that I have access to the machines.

So far today is going well. No sign Rita will be leaving. The snake continued to "move things along" so to speak yesterday, so I have my fingers crossed over no surgery.

DH is sick of mexican food, so I will be making oven baked chicken tonight. It tastes great with some warmed up raspberry jam. A friend pointed out that it is really a homemade shake-n-bake, but I don't care.

No one's really said anything for me to respond you - so take care and write soon!

FM-Congrats on the loss! Good for you!

i guess some people would say i have weird food tastes too-for instance-my bf. last night he had leftovers, so i made myself some fish (the breaded kind from a box) in the oven, noodles, and corn. i am proud of myself for not overeating last night too., btw. anyway, my bf is just like "oh, disgusting" when he smelled the fish. he is not a seafood person. i love crab, lobster, shrimp, fish, and he dispises it. so he thinks me food tastes are weird.

also good job on the gym this morning. yesterday i went to the gym for aerobics, and i get there & realize i forgot socks. grrrrr! so i decided to do the class w/o socks on. big mistake. my feet were killing me last night. today they are feeling okay, but nonetheless i think i will give them a break from the gym tonight.

anyway, gotta go

jenn

Sorry.. I recently switched to diet coke ( 2 months ago) and I had a roommate that would tell me how awful it was for me, etc etc etc. It really got on my nerves because I had done some research on the subject and she seemd to be just spitting out old wives tales left and right (nothing with any backing.. although like I said research exists to support both sides).

Since switching to diet coke.. I have been able to keep my weight off and even lose more despite my hectic schedule. So for me.. its been a very good thing in my life.


-Tanya