[gma22]

Good morning ladies and a Happy New Year to all of you! Time to start a new thread and I imagine for all of you except myself, you should be able to reach goal by the end of the year. Let's try hard to accomplish that goal and post the total number of points lost for the whole group this time next year. I hope it is hundreds!

Gail: You posted the same as my new year's wish so I wasn't ignoring what you said. I am thrilled your mom is doing so much better and I hope she just continues to improve.

Susan: We have Joe's Crab Shack around here but it is a chain restaurant. We went there only once and didn't care for it. The wait staff continually drives you nuts and not in a good way. That is a veggie I just do not care for, but I am a strawberry lover. In fact, I have red berries Special K for my cereal right now. It is very good and the berries provide just the right amount of sweetness to the cereal. have a left handed mug but most everything else, I have had to adapt to a right hand world. I have to cut with scissors upside down, when I wash up dishes it is left to right, etc. Of course I knit left handed. I saw an old Herbie the Love Bug movie with Helen Hayes a few knits ago and she was knitting "left handed, but it didn't look right. I realized she was continental knitting! lol

Well, I goofed a big one trying to fix my mistake and ended up tearing out the whole left side on my sweater so I back to where I was with it. That's ok, it teaches me patience!

Lavonda: Just a note to you about out thread, we old ladies don't like the thread to get very long so we only go to about 18-20 posts and start a new one. I had to chuckle as you missed #55 competely! lol Hope you can get in here and post a lot, we have a good time. If the news on your weigh is isn't great don't let it throw you, just keep plugging away.

Have a great day everyone. I am going to sit and start back on my sweater and try not to goof it up this time.

Faye

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! Happy New Year to you. Let 2009 be your year to shine!

LaVon and Beledigirl, I hope you haven't abandoned us! We look forward to your posts this year.

Maggie and Jean, Hi, got in before you today.

Gail and Gloria, I hope this turns out to be a better year for you and look forward to your posts when you have time.

Faye, I like your idea of keeping track of how much we lose all year. Maybe we could start a new thread on Monday and post our loss for the previous week and the total to date. I got a pattern for fingerless gloves from my friend so I'm going to try them as soon as my thumb is better. They are cute and should knit up in no time.

I started a WW 3-month tracker today. I realize I only have 22.4 pounds to get to 140 - less than 1/2 pound loss each week. That seems very attainable. I'm listening to my Beck tapes again, too. I read the Week 4 booklet today and took the quiz and found 3 things to work on this month. I put Pork and Sauerkraut in the crockpot this morning (German custom for New Year's) and will have mashed potatoes and applesauce for dinner.

I'm starting my new applique quilt today. It has 12 blocks so I think a goal of a block a month (and still having time to work on other things) is good.

Have a good day - I'm off to start that quilt!

[LaVon]

Hi girls!

Well, happy New Year to you all! The day I dreaded is here! Weigh-in day! I weighed in at 215. Not as bad as I thought, but bad enough! I want to get down to 140 so I am counting on support from you guys! I hope I can lose a lot of weight before summer. I just hate these hot Arizona summers when I am overweight! Anyway, I hope you all had a great celebration and I hope to hear from you soon! What are your goals for this year?

LaVon

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

I say good morning on this first day of a new year and it is fxin' to be noon o'clock in a few minutes. Our party went quite well and we ushered the new year in with non alcohal bubblie. I slept late but that is nothing new for I stay up late ~ I am a night person. I think all those years working 2-10 reset my awake time timer. It always took me a few hours after being off duty to wind down so when I did go to sleep I got a good amount of it before having to face the criminals once again. Anyway now I am retired my system still wants to keep that schedule. I have tried to get up early and I yawn and walk in a stuper. I plan on making each day one where I keep my FOCUS this year of 2009. I need to keep it.

LAVON Goal for the year? Keep on down te road to thin holding fast to my FOCUS the best I can. Hope you have a good year. I do know how hot that Arizona summer can be. Run for the shade.

SUSAN Pork and Sauercout ~ yum. UMMM ~ I can smell it from here. We are having ham and aug potatoes and broccoli. Well Will won't be having broccoli but he can have corn or some other veggie. He absolutely positively will not eat broccoli and I love the stuff. He gets enough veggies and lets me have my broccoli. Since he does the shopping he doesn't mind picking out a great looking bunch for me. Dear I do hope your thumb gets better soon especially since now you have gotten that fingerless glove pattern. Now lest I forget ~ let me congratulte you on that .8 you lost. Yep a tad over 3 cubes of butter as was so aptly stated by you when I had that exact loss. You go girl ~ I am so happy for your doing so well and having lost so much so far. You are an inspiration.

GAIL Girlfriend that is good that your mom is doing better and responding. Thanks for the up date and do know that we are praying for both your parents and you and Wayne. You, my dear, get proper rest.

DONNA Thanks for starting a new thread for a new beginning and new year. Let's not squander our time and make each day count. Friend of mine, you are not the only one here that will not be reaching goal by the end of 2009. Nope, I am right there with you. I have more to lose than would be healthy to do in one year. So rest asured we will be walking down this road to thin together after the other Magnoias have reached their goal. I like your idea to post our yearly loss at the end of this year. But rest assured I am not in a race with you because we lose at such different rates. You lose in chunks and I lose in ounce.s

[Jean]

Happy New Year, Flowers! The sun is trying to shine and it's still cold and windy outside, so I don't think any snow will melt today. We went to see Marley and Me last night. They gave HUGE glasses of pop free with popcorn; some guy climbed over me to get out and dumped our glass (on the floor, thank goodness) in the process. We have cup holders, but the glasses must be quart size as it takes two hands to hold on to one. Luckily most of the pop was gone since Bob and I shared. I intended to stay awake until midnight but fell asleep in front of the TV as usual. I did sleep all night which surprised me. This morning I've been sorting through papers for tax purposes and plan to take down the Christmas tree this evening while Bob watches football.

"Gma" -- Thank you for starting a brand new thread with a #1, to start off our new year down the road to a thinner, healthier us! I'm sorry about you having to start over on you sweater again. At least you didn't have to start completely over. What is continental knitting? I've never heard of that. The teacher who taught me to do the afghan stitch is left handed but I sat across from her and learned that way.

Maggie -- I like the Schwans products too! I haven't bought much since the kids have been gone and we seem to get different salesmen quite often. They are out and about here fairly late at night; I've seen them around 9 or so. I suppose with so many women working they can't find many home during the day. I have a debit card but hesitate to use it out of town. One of our teachers went shopping in Kansas City and the store did a double debit on her account. It took her months to get it straightened out and it turned out to be quite a hassle. Our card can also be put through as a charge, which the bank treats as a debit if the store doesn't happen to have a debit machine. I still use Sears, Penneys, and Younkers cards because I can get an extra 15 - 20% off either regular or sale prices by using their store cards.

Gail -- I was so glad to read that your mom is doing better. I hope that she continues to do well with her treatments. Be sure that you get in some "you" time.

Susan -- CONGRATULATIONS on losing .8# in spite of the holidays! You are doing so well! Amanda is left handed and I found a t-shirt in a catalog that said, "I may be left handed, but I am always right!" It was too late to order it for Christmas but I'm thinking she might get it for her birthday. Happy Belly sounds like my kind of restaurant . . . better than the Crab Schack! When you talk about a quilt block, is that including all of the different little pieces that make up the pattern? As you can tell I have no clue. My stepsister is a quilter and I like to go with her when she is looking for fabric during our week in MN.

LaVonda -- Do you attend WW meetings that you could weigh in today? I would like to see 140 again but my doctor says he would be happy with anything between 150 and 160. I've missed WW for the last 2 meetings so will start fresh again next week. Good luck!

I guess I will go start on the tree since no one else (Bob!) seems to be interested in doing it. Have a nice rest of the day and evening.

Jean -- from Iowa!

[LaVon]

No, I don't attend Weight Watchers, but I use a plan that is very similar. My husband Jim has diabetes and he was given this diet plan and we used it a few years back and both of us lost about 75 lbs each on it. It is a good plan, but I always seem to get off of it because I have a tremendous sweet tooth. I can't seem to get enough candy! :-) Oh well, I will have to really try harder this time to maintain. My husband is being so sweet and supportive. I was pretty upset this morning after weighing in, but he told me not to fret, I just have some work to do! He is such a good guy!

I have to lay off the ice cream and shakes too! I just love them way too much!

Thanks for all the support and have a wonderful new year!

I wish everyone success with all you strive for this year!

LaVon

[gma22]

Good morning to you all! I hear Jack upstairs getting around to get ready for work. I know after being off yesterday he doesn't want to go into work today, but someone has to be there and the other guy had vacation time he had to use or something. Maybe his day will go fast.

LaVonda: Sugar is THE hardest of all foods to crack. It messes with the brain and is a definite craver. I just read an article that said that switching to SF stuff is no better as just a sweet taste will make dieters go off and eat things they shouldn't. I know you can do this and look at it this way, you have a whole lot less to lose than I do and I have been carrying this for 25 years.

Maggie: Everyone is different when it comes to losing weight and how fast or slow they do it. I just think it would be cool to have a total lbs lost for the whole group at the end of the year. For me, I need something to strive for to keep at it. I always have some dips, but I know I have to do this to feel better and take stress off my body.

Jean: Hope you got the tree down and the rest put away. I talked to my sister yesterday and that is what she was doing to keep her mind off her granddaughter who flew back to Las Vegas. Her dgd goes to UNLV and will not be home again for a whole year as she plans on going through the summer so she can graduate early. We use our bank card all the time, but never as a debit but a credit card. That way we don't get charged like you can at some stores with a debit card (ie if you use a pin in other words.) We found stores that charge up to $3 if you use your card and use a pin.

Susan: Those fingerless gloves have some goofy name, but I can never remember it. Those and shawls are really popular at the knitting website I belong to. I just want to get my darn sweater done! lol

Well, gals, I need to get started on my day. You all have a good one and I will talk with you later.
Faye

[Jean]

Good Morning, Flowers! I am online checking to see if a flower arrangement that I ordered online has been delivered in AZ. Usually my stepsister will call and she has not. I requested delivery on 12/31, so who knows where the flowers are?! They have an unlisted phone # which doesn't help the delivery process either. It's cold, but no wind so far today. The sun is peeking through the clouds and it is supposed to be warmer today. Tomorrow is rain turning to snow which to me means sleet in there somewhere. I'm trying to get myself motivated this morning; so far I've had my coffee, oj, toast, and read the newspaper. I need to call my friend who is taking chemo treatments, and see if she is up for a casserole for the weekend. If not, I'll make it for us. We have several from school who have been out with various medical issues, but no one has bothered to set up a "take food to them" plan.

LaVonda -- I am a sugar addict also. I have found that I am further ahead to work it into my plan rather than not have it at all. I'd rather have it from time to time and count the points than to overdose when I haven't had any for a long time. My husband used to have a gal in his office that wouldn't touch chocolate in any way, shape, or form. She had lost a lot of weight and chocolate was her downfall. I admired her willpower.

"Gma" -- I've never been in a store where they charge to use a debit card. I do know that some places will give a discount if you pay cash rather than use the credit card which costs them money to process. My tree is still "up." I am such a morning person that if I don't get it done by late afternoon it just doesn't seem to get done. Today is the day or else! I want my house vacuumed and dusted before I head back to school!

I do need to get busy! Have a fantastic Friday. Do something nice for yourself and smile!

Jean -- from Iowa!

[Maggie]

GOOD MORNING MAGNOLIAS

AH it is now Friday. I took all my Christmas decorations down and all put away nice and neatly and ready to put up next year. I have plastic containers to keep all my little stuff that goes with my glass village so it keeps them nicely. I will have to resolder one of the window shutter pieces back on one of the houses next year because I didn't want to mess with it right now because I didn't want to heat up my solder iron. Anyway I want to check the lights on the houses next year and change the strands if need be before setting it up again. I might just make a few more houses to add to the three I used this year. I have enough Christmas lights to put on a couple more. Life is good. I am glad that I am not a "sugar" person. I do have in my desk (because I do occasionally like one) a variety of those little one point chocolate candies made by Whitmans. Will picked me up several bags of them from Wal-Mart and I just opened them all and dumped them in my drawer. Right now I have English Toffee Squares, Almond Nugats, Coconut. They are really good and just one does it for me. I really like to eat one when I have popcorn. The squares taste like Heath bars and the Coconut like Mounds and the Nugats like one out of a box of nuts and chews. Whitmans also makes more choices with the WW points on them. If you can manage to eat just one or two then I highly recommend them for your sweet tooth. I also have a ton of 2 point suckers in various flavors from Sees Candies which are great. I can make one of those last all day. I am careful where I lay it down though. Anyway I think I am more a salty person than sweet. I love Cheetoes. My most main red light food. I have trained myself to weigh out a portion and just eat those few. If I have a big bag I portion them out in smaller bags. A gal has to learn what works best for her on this road to thin. It is all about portions.

I am going now to see what I want for breakfast. I have some wonderful naval oranges which I like to cut into sections to eat. I think one of those and some dry toast made from two for one point bread. Yep that will do me and I'll plan the rest of the day. I am awake now.

Everyone of you have a wonderful day and the weekend which is just around the corner. Type at ya'all later.

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! Cold and rainy today.

Haven't done anything interesting just the usual cleaning and quilting. Planned menus for next week so I'm set to go back to work.

Faye, sorry about having to "deknit" your sweater; you're right it teaches patience. I feel like Jack, been off and now I'm in a lazy day groove, but it will be good to see everyone again and as an added carrot, Monday is payday.

Jean, are you ready to face the monsters again next week? Hope that Christmas tree is down! I went to bed at 10 on New Year's Eve.

Maggie, sounds like a great party. I thought about you yesterday. There is a glass program on the CREATE channel right before quilting so I saw the tail end. They were making some beautiful stuff.

Gail, I hope things are still improving with your mom.

LaVon, I am living proof that a sweet tooth can be tamed. Before I joined WW way back in the 70s, I loved anything sweet. Fortunately back then there were all the sugar free products so it was cold turkey to get off but now I can walk past sweets. Once or twice a month I'll have a few bites of the desserts at my quilting bees, but the now taste so sweet I can't eat much. I am one of the people who artificial sweeteners cause sweet cravings so I try not to use them either. My biggest sweet treat is sugar-free Jello. I've tried the various bars and 100-calorie packs and not only are they expensive for what you get, they have no nutrition to speak of and cause insulin spikes that make you feel hungry after an hour or two. I usually snack on fruits, veggies, yogurt or air-popped popcorn. Just my experience, it's different for everyone. Whatever you do, we're here for you!

Have a great day!

[LaVon]

Good morning girls! Well, I made it through day one and it was really good! I stuck to the diet and had air-popped popcorn for my snack. I will try to have my snack each day at six p.m. (if possible) since the diet dictates no eating past seven. I am actually looking forward to weighing in next week! Thank you for all your support. I feel as though with you all supporting me and giving me advice, I can lick this problem. I want to lose a significant portion of this weight before summer. I work in a school district and it is so difficult to sit at my desk and not think about eating. Everyone has snacks lying around and we have a kitchen area where there is nothing but food lying around. Everyone has a candy dish on their desk and we have an employee kitchen that serves the same food the kids get (all of which is fattening!) I am going to have to become creative in ignoring the temptation as you can probably tell! I am also going to start a program at work open to other ladies who would like to lose weight that focuses on a workout video, diet/cookbook/website support exchange. I think that would be a good way to stay focused.

I tried to go for a walk outside yesterday, but my shin splints hurt so bad, I had to go in after only 1 mile. But, I didn't give up! I iced them down for about a half-hour, and got out my Leslie Sansone 3-mile fat-burning video and worked out that way. Much better since she uses all muscle groups, and I can use my strap-on wrist weights. I feel so good this morning, that I think I will take the Christmas tree and decorations down! :-)

I hope you girls have a wonderful week and thank you all so much for listening to me, and for supporting me! You are all so very sweet!

LaVon

[QuilterInVA]

Found this online and it just put a smile on my face. Thought I would share. It did not list the author.

When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down
And you feel like the biggest failure in town;
When you want to give up just because you gave in

And forget all about being healthy and thin;
So What! You went over your points a bit;
It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!

It's a moment of truth, It's an attitude change;
It's learning the skills to get back in your range;
It's telling yourself "You've done great up till now;

You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow;
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal;
You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.

To stumble and fall is not a disgrace
If you summon the will to get back in the race;
But, often the struggler's when losing their grip

Just throw in the towel and continues to slip
And learn too late when the damage is done
That the race wasn't over and they still could of won.

Life-style change can be awkward and slow
But facing each challenge will help you to grow;
Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint in the cloud of doubt.
When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit;
Just write down every BLT; but don't you quit!

[LaVon]

Loved the poem quilter...thanks for sharing!

LaVon

[Maggie]

SUSAN That was neat that you took the time to post that poem. I have that in my little "don't forget it" book. If you gals would like I can post some of the other neat things that I have run across and saved.

NightersType at ya'll later ~ BUT not tonight.

[QuilterInVA]

Good morning, ladies! Cold but sunny today.

Maggie, I'd love it if you would post some inspirational things from your book.

Nothing much doing today, housework and quilting should do it.

I'm making Pork BBQ for supper with some the leftover pork from New Year's. I'll have it with a sweet potato and asparagus.

Dryer is buzzing so I need to get folding!