I did great this weekend. I skipped dinner last night because I had no idea how many calories were in the finger foods at the shower yesterday. I did skip the cake table!!
We had rain overnight and I heard that snow may mix in this morning. I think Im ready for the excitement the first snow brings. I also made a pot of chili yesterday so Im ready. lol I dont expect a flake to stick.

Ferris & pluckypear - Heh. No kidding. Before every flight I stew about fitting, and it is NOT a fear I can comfortably share with anyone else. This summer on vacation one of our activities was a canopy walk - over connecting rope bridges from platform to platform on trees in the rainforest. I have a bit of a fear of heights, but was also scared that I would be too heavy for these things. I was going to skip it, but had already skipped an earlier activity (Wellies were required; they didn't have any that fit over the calves of a relatively skinny friend and she had to roll them down. I knew they wouldn't fit me.) so I went. And was okay. It was terrifying and we were too loud so did not see any sloths or ... much of anything, really. But being so high in the canopy of the rainforest and getting through that on my own power was neat.

Melissa - I am so glad you have friends there to whom you can open up. That is lovely, and necessary, I think. I know exactly how you feel about the scale. EXACTLY, heh. I know you have the strength to get through it, too.

Rosebud - so glad you had sun this week. I am far, far to your south, but after having snow two weeks ago, we had a gorgeous weekend. 70 degrees AT LEAST both days. That weather is disappearing now, it is supposed to drop from the 60s to the 30s today, but I took advantage of the weekend, cleaned up the vegetable beds, cut back a butterfly bush that had grown into a virtual tree, cleaned out a bunch of flower beds, and planted four flats of pansies.

Well, three flats of pansies and one of violas. They are so pretty, and I will be even happier with them in the spring when they bounce back. It was the last weekend my fav greenhouse was open. I used to buy my pansies at Lowe's or Home Depot, since I plant them so late in the year that they will have them on clearance. Now I pay full price, but the ones at my fav greenhouse are so much pretty. They have these really great color mixes. The biggest problem I have is that I cannot buy every single color that strikes me.

dgramie - I love shopping and Christmas, too. Though I usually decorate a bit later, and then leave the decorations up at least through the Epiphany - January 6. I noticed that some people around here took advantage of the good weather to put up outdoor Christmas lights, while I was planting pansies. I am nowhere close to finished shopping. Congrats on skipping the cake table!

Jane - four feet of snow? Did I mention that it was seventy degrees here this weekend? Okay, that was cruel. I hope you had fun with your shopping weekend. For the last several years I have wanted to do that some weekend in December, but something always comes up. Really, we have enough shops around here, but I like getting away, finding unfamiliar things, too.

Warmth!!! I miss that!!!! We live in an area with a distinct staffing shortage, so there is nothing on the shelves here. It's nice to have an excuse to get away :)

WOW, JANE ~ four feet of *snow* -- hope that doesn't come here. We had temps in the 50's F (10 ish C) the last two days, but it has dropped down to about 0c or 32 F now. Becuz of the high temps, we had :rain: all day long -- yeah! I may be able to walk a bit tomorrow if this sticks like they say it will, but we'll see.

MEM ~ you must be far, far south alright -- to be still putting in your flowers for next year. I have seen perennial pansies grow here, esp if you put them in the right place. Blue Violas are pretty, if I have the right flowers in mind. They had some on sale here this year.

dGramie ~ good for you skipping the dessert table! You did great ... :carrot:


I wanted to put up some lights, but DH hasn't been in the mood to hunt them down right now. Maybe later this week, if I can talk him into it. We'll see ... :shrug: I do have a box of mini-lights that I can put up myself, if necessary; and I have them hidden upstairs, just in case. ;)

I have only a few Christmas presents bought; usually I have lots by now, but I am late this year becuz we've been busy with other stuff and so many appts and such. Still lots of time left for that though; not to worry.

Eating is good. We had leftover roast chicken and veggies from yesterday. I made a nice rice-barley pilaf with spinach & veggies to go with the chicken today. I made myself a pumpkin custard and DH has his pumpkin pie, which always makes him happy. :)

Have a wonderful week everyone ... :D

Has anyone tired the DASH diet?
 

Has anyone tired the DASH diet? a I am from MN and the Mayo Clinic recommends it? Well I just started my weight loss journey again. I have been up and down losing almost a 100 pounds in many tries only to gain it back never making goal. So back up to the max I have been and am looking for some support. I have been mindful about what I have eaten and feel in control for the first time in a long time. I usually do really well at the beginning and then get bored because I have so much to lose or something happens to upset my world. Recently, forced retirement at 54 and no longer attending WW. I have been in such physical pain and know that just a few pounds will help that. :)

Welcome choblet! I havent tried the dash diet but have tried many! I find plain old counting calories work best for me.

mem_ love pansies! Mine continued to bloom last winter and I got some pictures of them in the snow year before last. I noticed yesterday that my flowers are still in bloom nicely..my danthus in beautiful. I guess I will try and get my greenery up outside this weekend and then start on the inside.
I can say I have truly enjoyed my fall wreath and centerpiece I got as a gift when daddy died this yr.

Jane- please dont send that snow south to ky!!Im not ready for that kind of snow ever!!!

plucky- I made a mess wreath and I keep thinking its too pretty to hang outside. GUess I may make another one in case it gets stolen!

just- I hope hubby gets feeling like dealing with the lights. I am hoping to do some online shopping today.
I have the worst time buying for my middle child and her husband. They have everything and so much more money than we do. I need to start hitting her up for ideas. Her and her husband both have bdays in dec also. hubby and i arent buying for each other this year.

I need to get some exercise in today!

welcome choblet.....what is the DASH diet is it US side of the pond only?

Rosebud - oh, yes. I'm far to the south. Not in the deep south of the States, but below the Mason-Dixon line. If you know anything about geography, I'm at the level of the southernmost border of Ohio. I was planting perennial pansies, although around here the summers are too hot for them to survive or look nice so we treat them as an annual, usually. Plant them in October to mid-November (to be honest, I was really late planting them. As I said, the greenhouse was closing this weekend, and - hah, this morning we had a hard freeze), and they will survive the winter and be gorgeous in springtime. Then, I pull them up in May or June when I plant my other annuals.

If these are the violas you are thinking of, then you are right! I might try to harvest some blooms from the pansies since they are edible, but I don't know what sort of spray the greenhouse might have used. I planted some at my mom's house a month or two ago, and was out there this weekend and they were not doing well. Then I realized that deer can roam pretty freely in their neighborhood, and deer love pansies. Next year I will save myself the work!

We had a really mild winter last year so the pansies did really well. We will see about this year. Oh! and most of my flower beds are close to the house, which tends to keep them a bit warmer.

Your pumpkin custard sounds delicious. I love pumpkin pie and have a recipe I love that mixes canned pumpkin with pudding mix, pumpkin pie spices and skim milk to make an approximation. Have not made it yet, but keep meaning to do so.

dgramie - hah. yes! I planted some dianthus as an annual a few years ago and it is still blooming. I have a few other plants that survived our snow from Hurricane Sandy. My hollyhocks looked droopy, but made it and are blooming. I have a few blooms on some purple coneflowers still, and there were a dozen or so on the butterfly bush that I cut down. I cut them to bring inside. Oh, and my floribunda rose bush is still blooming. I really need to prune it FIRST THING come springtime. We will see. I got a pretty pastel pansy mix, and then some purple ones with blue faces and bright yellow ones to scatter around the garden. Most of the other things I still had flowering, though, were killed by the snow two weeks ago.

Oh, but I am about to get a second bloom on some of my mums! (Fingers crossed: last year I was also about to get a second bloom when the weather got really cold and killed them!)

choblet - welcome! I have not done the DASH diet, but aside from the salt restrictions (I don't worry much about the salt; I find actually that one of my problems with home cooking is that I will sometimes add too little salt or no salt and never quite realize that the lack of salt is what makes my food taste bland. Heh. But!) - alot of the focus on veggies and grains and convenient veggies too fits with what I've been doing. I know what you mean, too - feeling in and hour of control. I really love veggies and have been eating this way now long enough that when I bought fat-free vegetable dip to take to a party this weekend, it tasted good. Usually the fat-free sour cream just tastes weak to me. Oh, I am a vegetarian, more or less, so most of my protein comes from vegetable sources - beans, et cetera.

mountainwalker - the DASH diet was developed by the Mayo Clinic initially to help people lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It focuses on vegetables, fruits and whole grains. There's more about it here.

I am getting work done on my car today, so had to drop it off and walk to work. Treated myself to a (half of a) pumpernickel bagel and a (skim, sugar free) latte on the way. The bagel shop had hardly bagels left and the manager told me that they get their bagels from a shop on Long Island and have had problems restocking since Sandy. My bagel still tasted good. Hah, and here I thought the "NY" in the bagel store's name was just a style thing. I had no idea they brought them in from NYC. Or, well, the NYC suburbs.

:welcome: CHOBLET ~ We can identify with you on many fronts, trust me; and I didn't post my weight until I had been here a while either -- same reason, of course. My goals focus on sizes as that works better for me, but I am weighing myself every 6-8 weeks or so just for my own information really. I also keep track of my inches too.

I think the dash diet sounds good -- seems very similar to how I eat now, based on portions/servings and I count calories as well. I find this a very flexible and enjoyable way to eat that can be sustained long-term as well. I have great respect for the Mayo Clinic and the folks that work there too.

MEM ~ your flowers sound so pretty. I was thinking of a smaller flower, but they looked similar. Yes, I understand that the lower states have much milder temps and longer seasons than we do here. One of the ladies here from Texas tells us that she continues to grow some crops & some flowers like Irises all throughout the winter, esp if they have enuff water.

PUMPKIN CUSTARD ~
The pumpkin custard is very easy; basically, it is the same filling as for pie, but I just cut the sugar down (1.5 cups pumpkin, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 2 TBL flour, 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cloves). I whipped it with my hand whizzer, then put it into a buttered casserole dish and bake at 375 F until a knife comes out clean.

Continued on my fall cleaning today; cleaned out DH's dresser, then started in my PC room (we call it our office, but it is really just my little haven). Sorted and tossed some things; mostly trying to get rid of some clutter and junk that we really don't need.

Food was good; had poached salmon with np and veggies for dinner tonight. Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow ... :)

just- thanks for your recipe.I will have to try that! I am in the same mode you are. I cleaned out our dinning room cabinets yesterday. I gave away a big trash bag full of stuff. I plan to do the same again today. It feels so good to be in control of the house as well as my own body!

mnem- I always tend to lean toward the purple pansies but never can decide which is my favorite. They all make me happy!!

walker- how are you today?

Im going to try and get my laundry finished up today as well as cleaning my kitchen cabinets out. It all depends how well my kids play today. I really need to get it done before the holidays.

dgrammie I am groovy thank you!
I have managed to get back on track after my month of enforced idleness and have walked 4 miles today.
I am busy making an essay plan for a history essay as part of the Open University Course I am doing....it is nice to get the grey cells going!
What with this and my voluntary work, it is so nice to be busy. I worked full time for 25 years until last Feb (2011) and now I am feeling better "between the ears" so to speak I am gradually increasing my level of busy-ness and am planning to get a post in a school next year.........if I possibly can.
I am really sorry to be dim but does one wish a Happy Thanksgiving???

Haha. Someone at work today called me the incredible shrinking woman. So, yay. It will help me through this week when I am having a bit of cycle-related weight gain. I got my DSL modem and set up the new DSL at home last night. Fingers crossed it will stay stable. Some of the filters I got for the phone line were bad and that made it frustrating, but it seems to be working now. Dropped off all the old equipment at the cable place on my way to work this morning, so I feel accomplished. Also picked up my winter coat at the dry cleaners. For some years it sat forlornly on my coat tree and I vowed that I would someday fit into again. And now. :)

Rosebud - thank you for the pumpkin custard recipe. I will try it. I love pumpkin pie but have never made it. Extended family gets together for Thanksgiving, and the pies are not my job. :) I definitely cannot grow iris in wintertime, it does get cold and stay cold here in the winter. It is usually below freezing at night but often above freezing during the day. And after our 70 degree weekend, it is cold again. But no snow. You brave Canadians. :)

dgramie - I have been cleaning out things too. Have moved on to the kitchen and also cleaned out the freezer. I am a bit worried that the garbage collection folks might think I threw out too much stuff this week. We will see. And oh, yes - they make me so happy, too, bright little faces when the countryside is all brown and dark and gray and muck.

mountainwalker - Happy Thanksgiving is perfectly appropriate! It is such a big holiday for me and my family that it is weird to me that most of the world doesn't have the same holiday-type rhythm. The earlier Canadian Thanksgiving makes sense, too, but again, it is such a part of the rhythm of the year for me to have it in November that I cannot quite imagine anything else. Ooh, and I hope you are able to get a post in a school, as you hope. That is exciting. I am thinking about going back to school in a serious way, but not sure how to make it work. Or even what I want to do. Ugh. That part is frustrating. I have to balance desire with practicality. If only I had had a better sense of how important that is when I was younger.

I am going to the movie-opera again tonight. The Met HD version of Verdi's Othello. Renée Fleming is singing Desdemona. I managed to pack my dinner, so I'm feeling good about that.

mnem- I love going to the movie operas...live at the Met just made my life a few years ago.

My friend told me they are actually showing some in Egypt so I will have to check out what's coming up.

MEM ~ That was a nice compliment from your co-worker -- one to help motivate for sure. Nice NSV to get into that coat too. The movie-opera sounds fun; we don't have anything like that here (we live in the boondocks). It is a pretty, small town; and I love it, but that kind of entertainment is kinda limited. Our nearest city does have an orchestra though, but I have never had a chance to hear them.

I think our Thanksgiving is earlier becuz our fall crops come in the late summer/early fall and we have to have it before "OUR" winter sets in. You have Halloween at the end of October, Thanksgiving near the end of November, then Christmas at the end of December. Kinda nicely spread out; but like you, we are just used to having it at that lovely time of year with all the fall colors and such, which is so nice too.

I make that custard almost every time I make DH a pumpkin pie now; it is healthy and only about 125 calories per serving (for 4 servings). Or you can have half for breakfast for 250 calories; I have done that. :D

November is a good month for fall cleaning here, as the cold weather has come and it gives us something to do indoors. That way it is all done before Christmas & guests come. :) I take advantage of the time to get rid of some stuff we don't need too; but I have to be a bit sneaky and careful with DH's old stuff as he's a packrat and wants to keep everything ... ;)

Had pretty good day today; food was good and I even went out for a walk after dinner. It actually felt good when I was done even though there was a bit of nippy wind at the start. I have to push myself to go becuz I dread the pain, but I didn't have any tonight (yeah), just on the last quarter stretch my legs started to slow me down, so I rested a bit and then continued on. It is only a block but to me it feels like a marathon ... Hopefully, as time goes by, it will become much easier; but I am always so glad that I did it by the time I'm done.

I had a blah day yesterday but knew going for a walk would help my mood and it did!! Tom is here and yesterday I was hungry. I made good choices and feel good about it!
I feel much better today and hoping to make a little headway in the kitchen.
Its a frosty morning here and Im going to try and walk again tonight. It sure lightened my mood.

Good Morning!

Justwant2Bhealthy the custard sounds good. I made a crustless pumpkin pie which was yummy and plan on making it for Christmas. My DH even loved it and he does not eat pie.

I am already planning my Christmas dinner. It will be the first time that DH and I will have Christmas to ourselves. I am happy about that. I will have a few celebrations with friends and family leading up to the day.

I will decorate my home but will wait because are steam cleaning carpets over the next two weekends. I love real trees and so I get a small potted pine tree. I set it up on a table with faux white fur and then decorate. I even have small lights.

Traditionally we have gotten together with family for Chinese food on Christmas Eve. This year it will be the two of us. We will have a shrimp ring, cheeses, and other snacks.

Dgramie I want to walk more but my knees can only take so much. I will walk to do errands today.

Have a good day.

Melissa - oh, you should give it a go! I was in Malta once and saw a sign for Live at the Met broadcast in Valetta. Hah. I wonder if they will have the subtitles in English or Arabic in Egypt, though? This year the Met is broadcasting a new opera based on The Tempest with Simon Keenlyside as Prospero. 1) I find him very attractive, particularly for an opera singer; and 2) his costume looks like a collision between Mad Max and Steampunk and is therefore amazing.

Rosebud - I have to travel about three hours to see real opera, but the movie broadcasts of the Met make me feel less deprived. Plus they fit better in my budget. I enjoyed it. Got a small popcorn to go with the wraps I made for dinner and shared some and still left some in the bag. I was proud of that.

Also: heh, the idea of that pumpkin custard for breakfast is a great one. I do not like eggs but don't mind them in pumpkin pie! Particularly in the winter, I like to have 'treat' breakfasts, like pancakes or ... well, usually it is pancakes and some veggie 'sausage' - but pumpkin custard sounds great.

I hope you continue getting stronger, too.

dgramie - congrats on making the good choices, and recognizing that a walk would help your mood. It helps mine, too, though I have a hard time recognizing that when I am down in the dumps. I have managed to get up each morning for the past couple of weeks and walk before work and feel good about that. Just 22ish minutes this morning because I woke up late. I really need to get to bed earlier, but I am a night owl.

pear - Awww. That sounds like a lovely way to celebrate Christmas. I love live trees and love Christmas decorations too. Last year someone told me that it looked like Christmas exploded in my house. I don't get a live tree, although I love them. Traditionally we've had a live tree at my parents' house, where I spend Christmas, but a few years ago my mom discovered that my brother was allergic to the tree and was finally able to buy the faux tree she was dying to buy.

It is my mission to get her to buy a better looking faux tree, though. The one she got is really, really, really faux looking. I wouldn't complain, except that my parents can afford a decent faux tree. Yours sounds lovely, though. We should post pictures of trees when they are up!

MEM ~ oh, I see. I take it that means you watch them in a movie theater -- what a great idea. WE have a movie theater here and I had always hoped they would play some old classics or have one night for stuff like that. They did have one night for foreign films at one time, not sure if they still do now though; but I would like the old classics, comedies, and maybe concerts and who knows, movie operas or plays might be fun. I've never seen any live, just stuff on the TV.

dGramie ~ glad you went for that walk. I always feel good after I go too (in mind and body). I went out again tonight and went even further and longer too. The streets were dry and clear but now we have a wee sprinkling of snow dust (like tiny pellets).

PEAR ~yes, my DH likes the custard as well; so I have to hide it from him. He gets his own pie, so he doesn't need mine too. ;) We have a really nice faux tree; it's a good one and people think it's real. We used to get the real ones but once DH found this one, we use it. Getting the small live pine is a nice idea. Do you plant it afterward?

Had a pretty good day; got lots done. Food was good -- had leftovers tonight with a salad. As I said above, it was warmer today, so I was able to go for another walk tonight and I did enjoy it as well. Have a fabulous FRIDAY everyone ... :D

Just saying Hi
 

Hi all,

I'm new to this group, but I've decided (for the 5-gazillionth time) that I'm going to take my weight loss seriously. My eye doctor alerted me that I need to since my weight is causing me to lose my vision! Super SCARY!

I'm glad to know there is a forum of folks who I can relate to!

I had a ok day yesterday! Food was good but not enough veggies. I will finish off my relish tray today at lunch time and maybe add some cottage cheese to my plate. We tend to eat out a
lot on the weekends when my kids are home. IM sure this one will be no different. I am excited about some time with my youngest grandson.
I did some more cleaning yesterday and hoping to finish up the deep cleaning today on my main level. I have a few more kitchen cabinets to clean out. Sure feels good to have the clutter gone and things nice and organized!
IM hoping to find a big burst of energy today so I can get everything I want done. LOL Tom seems to zap my energy!
I need to really work on exercise next week!

Rosebud - the company that facilitates the movie operas in the states, Fathom Events, definitely does other stuff like that. They are playing the first two episodes of one of the old Star Trek series on the big screen, and they will broadcast The Nutcracker, or pop concerts, and even classic movies. This fall they had The Birds. I am not sure whether the same company organizes the broadcasts in Canada or not (actually I just checked and they only have rights to broadcast in the US).

But I expect that there must be something like it in Canada, since I know they have Met Opera broadcasts there, and different dates for the encores than we have in the US. These are usually 1-time events so might not be as widely advertised by local movie theaters, but you might keep an eye on the paper in case they pick up any of these old movies that you're interested in. The theaters are looking for new revenue streams, I guess, since so many movies are available on demand on the same day as theaters now.

librarywench - hello! I love your username, it's brilliant. And I know the feeling about the 5-gazillionth time, for sure. Your visit with the eye doctor soudns pretty scary, though I do wonder if he was serious? I have had eye problems (autoimmune issues - uveitis) - but they were not related to my weight, and they are - uh - nervewracking for sure.

dgramie - hah, again, I feel the same way. I tackled parts of my spare bedroom/craft room/catchall last night and sorted out more bags for goodwill. I am going to a craft show in a city an hour away tonight, and am having people over tomorrow evening, so I plan to finish up with a big day of cleaning tomorrow afternoon and then I will be able to enjoy a (slightly) less cluttered house for a few days before it gets dirty again.

I will have to work Sunday I think to be sure that I have everything covered before the holiday next week, but otherwise I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving.

I make a list of chores to do daily. I try and do as much as I can off the list. Its hard some days with the kids. I need to make exercise top on my list of chores to do each day.
I still think its strange how much better I do with food when I have my life in order in other areas. L OL

Mnemosyne - Thanks! My eye doctor was serious, and I actually had a recent MRI to confirm. My optic nerves are swelling and hemmorhaging (sp?) due to intercranial pressure. The diagnosis is Papilledema, and I have been reading some medical articles about it being found frequently in obese children. I also saw the Optomap images compared to normal images, and you can see the swelling, dark spots with are bleeding, and several enlarged blood vessels due to the pressure (you should only see 2). I was experiencing 4 or more headaches a day, accompanied by vision darkening, peripheral vision loss, dizziness, ears ringing, etc. Felt like I was going to faint!

By the time I had lost 15 pounds I was only experiencing one headache per day - and now I haven't had any for a couple of days. I continue to have vision issues, but it's nothing that can be corrected with eyewear. However, weight loss will reduce if not eliminate the pressure causing these problems. Even though I physically feel better, in that regard, I'm going to continue to lose more weight because I never want to experience THAT again!

Justwant2behealthy Last year I gave my small tree to my sis to plant in the Spring. It is too cold to plant until the Spring. But it died. Apparently it tales specific care to live. I am in an apartment so I am not able to store and replant. So sadly the tree dies eventually.

Mnemosyne I considered a faux tree for convenience. I would want a small one though and for the price I am willing to pay I think the tree will not look very nice. I noticed one on sale for $99 at Canadian Tire but ut us 7 feet tall. I might consider one of the 3 or 4 foot trees that are in a pot meant for outside, the faux ones.

Dgramie I absolutely believe weight is connected to all areas of our lives. My therapist certainly thinks so.

Dgramie I've noticed the same thing. I have a tendency to be a slob as it is (I'm so lazy it isn't even funny), and I've noticed that both feed off eachother: If I'm eating right and exercising I have the motivation to keep my house, my life, my finances in order, and when all that's in order, I eat better and get more exercise.

Usually it only takes one thing to derail me though. Last fight I had with my bf I ordered 50 bucks worth of take out and ate it all. Now I'm soothing myself (and really that's what it comes down to) with things like baths or movies or even a little (controlled) shopping.

Just wanted to pop in... Send lots of love, and warm wishes to all...

I've not forgotten you. Just kind of self absorbed. *chuckle*

I've been really focused on support groups in my area, and prepping for the surgery date I got (January 8th) but I keep getting sick as well... 2 times in Sept., 2 times in Oct., and now again in November. *sigh*

The joke is I should be use to it by now... But it still irritates the heck outa me.

The good news is... Even as sick as I am this time I am avoiding prednisone. Biaxcin, Salbutamol, and Symbacourt 200/6 but it is better than prednisone!

I hope you are all well, and happy... I read through the thread... I know the Americans have their Thanksgiving (and black Friday *purr*) coming... Maybe it is good I will need to stay home. My wallet would cry.

Shell

cuter....you have really been through the mill bless you.
How do you feel about the surgery?

Mountain Walker... I am actually looking forward to it. Maybe not the clear fluids for 2-3 days thing but the rest is ok.

What is the worst that will happen? I lose nothing but body fat and tone up? The scale will move with the lost inches?

I am not even having gastric bypass but rather one that is restrictive (VSG) so it is something that suits me situation-ally.

I guess I have had so much time to adjust to the idea, and make it my plan this time around that I can love it a bit, and accept it completely. It is a means to an end, and not a bad way to get there. Reality is it is just another tool I can make use of right?

Shell

You seem to have your mind wrapped around it, which is very important. I wish you all the luck in the world and a speedy recovery!

Thank you Radiojane! Let's just say I can live with it. It was not an easy choice but it will work.

:wave: HI THERE ~ had a fairly good day here myself; took it a bit slower as my feet were a bit sore yesterday. I just made muffins in the afternooon, then sorted & filed bill receipts after that. My fall cleaning is almost done; just a few things left to do now.

Food has been good all week as well. We had baked pizza (thinner crust) last night with a salad first for me; and tonight fish, a few tators, and salad for me. Both nights, I went out for walk after dinner despite the nippy cold, but it was nice since the streets and sky were both clear, so the stars were out and very close -- so pretty.

MEM ~ yes, that sounds just like what I was thinking of too. Not sure if there is a similar company in Canada or not either, but we have a lot of independent movie theater owners in the smaller towns here.

:welcome: Library Wench ~ glad you joined us over here. My, so happy your eyes and other symptoms are getting better ... :)

CURVES ~ best wishes & prayers for your surgery in January ... :hug:

dGramie ~ I am a daily list maker too; well, for everything actually. I find it really helps me keep organized and then I don't forget some things that way either.

PEAR ~ oh, too bad about the pine tree; they should give care instructions with the tree. We have successfully planted some in our country lot ... guess they were just blessed. ;)

JANE ~ oh, know how you feel there; no-one like your SO to get your emotions riled up for sure. Once I was aware that I was doing that -- I was determined to find other ways to respond. Glad you found some too.

Hope you are all having a good weekend ... :D

:hug: Hi Rosebud!

I have to admit... I read your food choices and thought... mmmm pizza! *giggle* What is it with PIZZA and this thread. I had pizza Tuesday... ;) :carrot:

Thank you for the well wishes come January! :hug:

pizza...I went with my daughter on sat to a pizza hut lunch buffet. I made my salad and ate it then had 3 tiny peices of a thin crust veggie pizza. It was truly the best pizza I have ever eaten. Then yesterday we decided to have pizza for lunch and i ate 2 slices and was miserable and scales jumped up 4lbs this morning. Time to flush it out today!!

dgramie - I am not quite THAT organized, but when I've had those bouts of organization with daily to-do lists, I always put "fix dinner" and "do dishes" on the list so at least I can cross something off. Putting exercise top of the list sounds like a smart idea!

And, heh, I hate it when the scale jumps like that. It is so disheartening!

librarywench - wow, that sounds REALLY scary. Heh, scarier than my little bout of uveitis (which in the scheme of things are really minor, but had me all stressed out.) for sure. I'm so impressed that you managed to get it together and lose the weight while dealing with that stress, since those sorts of things always make me want to comfort myself. What a great job you've done!

pear - haha, I have a small faux tree that I keep at home, about four feet tall. I got mine at target a few years ago and it was about $30 or $40. But when I see smaller live trees I sometimes pick those up instead. Funny that you were talking about the faux ones because last night I was trying to convince my mom that if she wants a faux tree, she needs to buy a better one. I have done this for two years now, and thus far been not very successful.

Jane - I have the same tendency toward laziness, hah. And I agree with you both. For example, I know I wouldn't've have had the energy/discipline to get the living and dining rooms painted and clean out all the junk in my house if not for the weight loss, AND cleaning out the junk makes weight loss fit better into my life.

Cuter - So sorry you are getting sick, but so glad that you have been able to avoid the Symbacourt, and that you have in person support groups close to home. I hope that everything goes well with your surgery, and that you enjoy the holidays until then. Please pop in as you get closer to let us know how things are going!

Rosebud - I like walking at night in the winter just for the stars. Even taking out the trash, there are moments when the crisp clarity of a winter sky fills me with a sort of breathless wonder. I'm glad that you were able to get out and enjoy it. The last few days here, we've had a crescent moon very low in the sky in the west a few hours after sunset, the sort of huge moon that looks like some vision out of a sci-fi movie where near planets revolve in a darkened sky.

I will be working alot this week and then off for a few days over Thanksgiving. Also, home internet is out (UGH, I will be mad if I have to switch back to cable) so connectivity is limited. Good luck to everyone this week!

dgramie Pizza got you to eh? We had some on Saturday at my brother's. I think my only saving grace is that I worked my tail off in the pool both Saturday and yesterday, so it didn't stick up the scale too much (although I also had a hotdog bun last night so we'll see what tomorrow brings).

I got cocky on Saturday and Sunday and busted my hump for an hour straight in the pool both days. I could really feel it, but I wasn't terribly sore. Well, got up early this morning to get a full hour in before work, got in the pool.... and could barely move!! I made 25 minutes of slow movement before I got out and went home. My shoulders still ache :(

Reintroducing gluten to my system after I'd been so good probably didn't help my case. I'm going to skip the pook tomorrow morning and just do a little walking at work. Hopefully by Wednesday I'll be feeling better and will take it a little slower.

Hello.

Mnem I saw a nice pine tree in a pot for 30. I will get it if there are any left on Dec. 1.

Justwant What kind of muffins did you bake? I love to cook but not big on baking.

I am going to my intense deep water aquafitness class soon.

popping in to say hi to all... been busy so far this week... but hopefully things will smooth out soon...

on track with eating at work, and still making lunches for everyday (small victory for the former take out queen - who delivery people knew by name and told me they missed me when I went on vacation *eye roll*)

Also tlaked to my parents to make some plans for when I am home for Christmas...my dad has almost lost 100LBs...and my mum has finally hit her rock bottom and is on board...

So feeling pretty good.

PEAR ~ I made banana-blueberry oatmeal muffins this weekend. DH and SIL has some this aft (I had a small HM raisin bran one). I bake up a batch and put them in the freezer; and just nuke them for a bit til they are warm. They are easy to make and DH loves them (just dump ingredients in bowl, mix, and bake).

MEM ~ yes, the moon was crescent shaped here too; it was bit bigger tonight and the stars were out again. We had some :sunny: today again, and it was warmer here as well -- up to 7+ C or 39 F? or close to that. Nice ... :D

Food was good -- I had a l/o chili pita pizza today for lunch; and Shepherd's Pie (no crust) for dinner tonight made from Sunday night's leftover roast and veggies. Walked after dinner.

Hope you all have a great week coming up ... :)

Food was good yesterday just not exciting! I plan on not cooking tonight and making a nice salad instead. Hubby is having lunch out today after his dr appointment, so he shouldnt complain much. lol
Looking forward to a long weekend off work!

Hey everyone - just a quick note, as I won't have much time to post for the next few days (and don't really have much time today!) Have been working long hours getting ready to have a few days off. It happens that way for me. I did NOT make my Thanksgiving goal of 265, unfortunately. But I'm close, and maybe with a full week after Thanksgiving to recover I will make it back to my pre-Thanksgiving weight after the holiday.

I am trying to get a few things done at work and then am off traveling. Hope you Americans have a great holiday and the rest of y'all just have a great week!