Good morning everyone!

Looks like a nice day with temps in the 50s today. Should be a nice day to get in a walk and enjoy something other than nasty weather!

Have a great day,

Good Morning! Or should I say.... Morning Already!?
I feel like I just went to bed! Getting my body to adjust to a normal schedule after being on midnight shift for so many years sure is challenging. Maybe when its warmer it will be easier, because then I will want to be outside during the day, instead of in bed.

Ubee: I have made sure to set checking in daily as a goal of mine. Even if its just to say hi. Its the one thing that makes me feel accountable.

SamIAm86: I hope you feel better today. I have had many days where I have cried myself to sleep also.

silentarctic: Hope your not getting sick! Fingers crossed that is passes over!

betsy2013: Oh, I hope you are feeling much better.

Good Morning!
Tad bit crabby today. Might be caffeine withdrawl. I'll get over it. Don't have a plan for lunch or supper yet and that is bothering me.
Erin ever since flylady taught me to make my bed and dress to shoes I no longer want to crawl back in bed. It was a great gift from her. I can not get dressed until my bed is made and I have to dress to shoes or I feel yucky. Glad to hear you are committing to checking in daily!
Dean you are having a heat wave! Enjoy!
Terra are you senstive to salt? If I remember you ate out more often then usual last week. Some places cook with a ton of salt. I love my salt but some places really go overboard. I'm so happy to see you today. Last time I checked in you had not posted and of course I was worried...
Lori Ann do you get hives often? Will you be able to get some fun in while you are in Vegas? I'm sure your diet will be fine as long as you committ and stay focused. Do you have an emergency plan like fruit and nuts in your purse?
Well my mood is better thanks to this thread!
Have a good day!

Hi everyone, I know how lousy I've been the past few months at getting here, but I'm hoping I can be more regular now! I am finally done house and dog sitting, and I have my Mickey Mouse trip out of the way. I'm hoping I can buckle down now and accomplish something in terms of my weight!

I'm giving up cheese and Facebook for lent. Not out of any religious practice, but more because I need to disconnect and get back to real life, and quite frankly, I turned cheese into an addiction.

Will start reading and do personals! Have a great day everyone!

sam - you are amazing for staying on plan (or even trying to) despite the stress.

Betsy - hope you are feeling better! being sick sucks!


Ubee - I definitely will! Hope you are surviving Caffeine withdrawls are the worst!

Erin - thanks, I'm trying to stay rested. Went to bed early last night too..


Terra - I'm sure it will turn back around. :)

Jane - Facebook I could live without but cheese, you're a trouper. That would be a hard one for me.

had a good workout last night but was too tired to cook. I really need to be more routine about cooking on the weekends so I don't have to do it during the week when I'm exhausted. I was feeling okay earlier, had a good workout yesterday but now I'm feeling super 'fat'. I just feel extra aware of my belly today it feels extra 'in the way'. Guess I need to workout tonight, not sure if I actually will though. So much to do so little time super hungry today because I skipped dinner last night. :-| Trying my best not to overindulge but also trying to listen to what my body needs. I did work hard last night so I want to make sure I fuel myself to repair any minor muscle injuries etc. :-| Oh balance... why are you so hard to find.

Good morning all. It's a beautiful day here and one where I could probably get some of the spring yard work done, but I have to take my BIL (also known as Bill to Ubee) to the doctor and me as well. I swear the weather gods only give us non-rain days when they know that I've got things scheduled that can't easily be unscheduled.

SilentArctic -- when you find balance, let me know where he's hiding. I've been looking for him for years and he keeps eluding my grasp!

Jane -- Good to see your post and your Lent choices. Hope you had a great trip.

Ubee -- Can't imagine you crabby, but some days we just need to have an off day because we've earned it. Good luck with lunch and dinner.

Edo -- Changing shifts is definitely an adjustment. And, yes thank you, I'm feeling a lot better.

Dean -- Enjoy your walk and I think your choice of music is wonderful. Of course, I'm 64, so......

Terra -- Your walking efforts make me want to do better -- keep up the great work.

Lori Ann -- Hope the hives have gone away and you figured out what caused them.

Still not real hungry yet -- which is a blessing -- so I was actually down another pound this morning. Plus coffee, which I basically lived on while working, isn't even appealing. Considering the a fib, giving up coffee wouldn't be the worse thing to happen. Hope everyone has a great day.

Ubee ~ Yeah your right last week I ate out 3 times instead of the usual 2 but thats because Scott's parent came to town. Im not sure if Im senstive to salt but if a sign of salt sensitivity is feet swelling then yes I am

silent ~ I sure hope my weigh does turn around

betsy ~ Thats awesome to hear Im glad my walking efforts make you want to do better

Im gonna walk after dinner tonight and I'll walk again before bed, I hope everyone has a great day.

Good Afternoon!
Terra yes! That is a big sign. Drink lots of water to flush it out and lay low on the salt. Good luck!
Betsy hope you and Bill got A+ at the docs today. WTG! on the pound down!!!:carrot:
Silent what gives with feeling slimmer one day and then tubby the next? When I feel trimmer I do so much better.
Jane I am with you on buckling down. Good luck to all of us!
Was good now I am back to crabby... It is not my job to save the world!

What up everybody!?!?!?!?!?

I'm feeling a lot better now...the stress is gone and I'm back to feeling normal. I hate when I get emotional like that and things aren't going my way. It just was a hard thing for me to deal with and now that it was talked about and out the way I can move on. Thank you all for the love you gave to me.

This week has been even more busy than any other week recently at work. The commercial agent at my office quit to go to property management after doing insurance for 30 years. Guess she needed a change of pace or something. So now I'm doing personal insurance and helping out the manager with commercial when I can. The time has gone by uber fast because I haven't been staring at the clock so much lol...

I ate bread for the first time tonight in almost two months. My belly feels really heavy now so I probably won't do that again. Gluten overload I guess. I wasn't going to exercise but since it's Wednesday and I didn't do anything last week after having the flu or whatever it may have been, and haven't done anything yet this week, I finally blew up my balance ball and did some core training with Turbo Jam. It was hard and I was having trouble staying coordinated but I made it through the whole 45 minute high intensity work out so I would say I deserve a pat on the back LOL!!! I even got to wear one of my new sports bras so I guess that was cool. I haven't had a sports bra fit me so well in years lol...

I'm glad there are so many people in here that it really makes me feed off the high energy in here....We ARE going to do this guys!! Everyone is doing such a great job it makes me so happy to hear! Even if we have set backs, don't give up! I'm not giving up so I hope you don't either!!

I hope everyone is having a great night and stay HEALTHY and HAPPY!!! <3

Good Morning!

I've got the coffee brewing, and brought a bunch of music to help me get through the day... Some George Winston, Diana Krall, Johnny Cash, Dean Martin, Glen Campbell, Abba, and the "rowdier" stuff-Imelda May.

Had a crazy, unpleasant week so far, but I've been able to make it through and stay on track.

Everyone have a great day!

Dean

Good Morning!
Back to caffeine and I am buzzing!!!!
Dean I think it is great progress you have made having a stressfull week and handling it so well.
Sam glad the stress is gone and you got a whole Turbo Jam in. Way to go!
Well maybe I should take advantage of this energy and get something done.
ta ta!

Betsey how is the brother in law recovering? It's always easier to give up a vice when something drives you away from it. Hope you feel 100% soon!

Sam Glad to hear things are settling down. My MIL and my best friend are both insurance adjusters and another good friend sells policies. It's a tough job! You're braver than I.

Dean Sounds like some good tunes!

feeling a lot more motivated this week. Got 30 minutes in at the pool yesterday and again this morning, and I took the dog for a walk/fetch session last night. My left shoulder is bugging me today though, and I wonder if maybe I overdid it a little at the pool. If it's still sore tomorrow I'll either take a rest day or just do water leg sprints.

I fasted throughout the day and had an on plan supper, but I did indulge in some ice cream. My bf has a sore throat, and his "sick thing" is ice cream. I did only get a mini Blizzard, and I picked the lowest carb count one on the nutritional info. Doesn't make it any better, but since I managed to not swear, check Facebook or eat cheese (except for what was in the crab stuffing in my salmon, but they needed to be eaten before they spoiled and that's a far cry from 4 or 5 hunks of cheese a day. Listen to my rationalize! lol).

Work is slow, but there is more talk of an impending sale, so right now we're sort of sitting on our hands. Hope to have some news soon. Have a great day everyone!

betsy - have a net so I can trap it if I find it? *puts up balance wanted poster * ;)

Terra -I'm joining on the wanting a turn around. I'm up around the same 5lbs.

Ubee _ I felt better after a SHORT workout but then was hungry and overindulged at supper. I find that when I workout my apetite is REALLY hard to battle with. Does anyone else find that? I mean by old standards I did not eat THAT much, I had 2 instead of 1 chicken breasts, and some corn and mushrooms. Honestly I was hungry enough to eat more but I cut myself off after the double portions (and went to a friends to watch a movie). I am ironically up like 5lbs this AM but I'm trying not to let it phase me. (Up from what I weighed yesterday not up from ticker weight,but still... annoying).

Sam: Glad you are starting to feel better. You are hardcore :) I need to ease back into workouts.

Dean- Good for you staying on track despite the stress. I need to master that.



So I'm trying not to stress over the 'gain' I know that I just need get back on track and cut back on salt, and maybe cut back on carbs and the numbers should slowly get back to where they were. I'm really only slightly above my ticker weight but earlier in the week I was seeing numbers that flirted seriously with the 300 borderline so its a bit of a let down that I let myself get back up.

I sort of feel pressure now that afew people have started to confirm that my weight loss is slightly noticeable. Only super observant people that notice that type of thing, but still. A friend last night said "no really you can see it, your doing good, you can see it in your back and arms" which is comforting because I guess I don't really notice how bulky they were? So I was starting to freak that maybe I WAS just losing all muscle mass. It's comforting but I feel slight external pressure now to keep the weight off and to continue loosing.

Good morning from a very, very wet Northwest. Yesterday I told you what a beautiful day it was. Well, that passed. By mid afternoon it was raining and today we've added blowing winds to the mix. The next few days it begins to taper off as the storm passes, but main I am beginning to realize that weather really impacts my mood.

SilentArctic -- We'll trap that balance thing, hog tie it, and never let it go. Do what Ubee says and drink lots of water. I always poo-pooed the idea that drinking water helps with weight loss. And it doesn't, but it helps us stay hydrated which keeps our bodies from wanting to hold on to every drop of water we ingest and keeps the water weight off. But any weight not appear -- either from water or fat -- is weight gone as far as I'm concerned. And I'm sure your friends can see a loss. You've lost a lot of weight from your high weight.

Jane -- BIL is doing great. Next week is his appt with the surgeon and hopefully he'll get the release to drive which translates into freedom for both of us. Loved your rationalization on the blizzard. Remember the scene from The Big Chill where one guy says "Have you ever gone a day without a rationalization?" Me neither! Hope the shoulder feels better.

Ubee -- No, you do not have to save the world although I imagine that you (we!) will keep trying. Still buzzing? Doctor's reports were good for both of us. What did you decide to do with your buzz.

Dean -- Love your music selections and the strength to stay on plan when having a bad week. That's a tremendous achievement.

Sam -- Glad you're feeling better and am in awe of doing 45 minutes of tough exercise. You sound super busy at work. Makes the time fly, but take some time to stand and walk around.

Terra -- You must love walking both for the exercise, but I imagine as much for being out and able to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells. Hope so anyway.

I've started making out my spring list which is always way too long. Things like getting the windows washed (and this year some of the siding on the house where a certain very large puppy has jumped up), getting the garden ready, repairs, etc. etc. etc. I'm also trying to get back into knitting, have agreed to develop a web site for the Lions Club Arts Festival and am still volunteering at the Coop. This is my latest approach -- if there's no time to snack on the bad stuff, I will lose weight. Have a great day!

Good Evening Everyone!

I hope everyone had an awesome day! It is wet, rainy, and cold as all get out here in South Carolina. I have the heat on and I don't even feel it right now lol...Work was good today, got a lot done and it was pretty smooth sailing...So glad tomorrow is Friday though, WHOOP WHOOP!! :-D

Tonight I made paleo orange chicken and had it with some mixed green veggies; broccoli, zucchini, snow peas and cabbage. I'm really not even missing the high carb foods like bread, rice, pasta, etc...Like I said last night, I did eat some bread and it made my stomach feel so bottom heavy that I really don't want to put it in my mouth again. I did buy some gluten free tortillas at the store today, but I really only have those maybe once a week or two weeks when I make some eggs on the weekend. I'm not saying I won't ever eat rice or potatoes again, but I am being very conscious about how much and when I eat it. It seems to be really working for me staying away from all processed foods, sugars and just anything artificial. I feel better, a lot of people are telling me they can really notice that I've lost weight, not only in my face but the rest of me too. I really think I'm losing more inches than what I'm seeing move on the scale. NSV's are good too so I'm not complaining!! :)

I think tonight I'm going to do some more work with my balance ball, if I can find a good work out for arms or legs to do with it. I haven't decided what muscles I want to work tonight. I know my abs are feeling it from core training last night...and it feels GOOD!!!

You know, it's funny how we all evolve as people. Not only physically, but mentally too. Over the past two years I have really taken a step back and looked at the things that make me unhappy. I've made a lot of mental changes to make sure what I do makes me happy, not dwell on the things I can't control, and learn to just be a happier person. That's not to say I don't have my days, but after I've gotten rid of all of the unnecessary drama in my life, things really seem to be brighter. I lost a lot of friends when I was making those changes, but those people weren't really my friends if they weren't there to love me for who I am and show me the same respect I would give them. Sometimes you have to just move on. Sometimes I miss those people, because at times, their personalities were good, but their intentions were bad...and it isn't worth it if you can't be happy with the friends you have and feel good about having that relationship, which I did not. I think my filtering out the bad in my life and focusing on the good, positive vibes and energies that I now choose to surround myself around, has prepared me for this journey I am now on to lose weight. It's like a fog has cleared and I can see it all now, for what it is. If I don't look out for me, what makes me happy and healthy and makes me feel good, no one else is either. Sometimes you have to grab life by the reins and kick major butt to get what you want. It will never come to you, and that realization when it comes to my weight loss has made me want to push even harder than ever in my life. I'm not going to lose all the weight I need to in a month, heck, maybe not even a year...But if I am persistent, and continue to do what I do now, I WILL lose this weight, feel happy, look great, and hopefully inspire others.

Ok, enough of my blabbing LOL!! I'm off to figure out my work out for the night. Take care my "fit family"...LOVE YOU ALL!!

Ubee ~ Thanks for the tip, I'll start drinking more water

silent ~ Im sorry your up 5 pounds, I definitely know how you feel though

betsy ~ Yeah I like walking but I only see the sights and hear the sounds when I walk outside though.

I'll be home all day tomorrow so Im gonna try my hardest is get all 3 walks in.

Hi everyone! What a long day here! Got up at 630 and made t through with no nap! Now hopefully I can fall a sleep before midnight. Made a new recipe today. Buffalo Cauliflower. Was really good. Feels good to be back cooking and trying new things again :) Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Hey gals, so didn't do so great on the eating. A friend invited me for sushi and I ate more than I should. But I did work out. I need to get the eating back under control. I'm not eating a ton but still .. I definitely need to start making better choices again.

Good morning!

Mmmm, sushi. Feels like I could eat my weight in good sushi-and that's a LOT, LOL.

Coffee brewing and its FRIDAY!

Hope everyone is geared up for an active, on-track weekend. Get out and enjoy the weather if its good, and if not, walk around the mall or some such?

Have a great day!

Dean

SamIam I know what you mean about positive changes. I've been thinking a lot about them lately. I've made a lot of unconscious ones over the last year or so, but lately I'm really trying to focus on inner peace. I struggle with that concept, because to me it seems rather vain. I mean I have time to make these changes. and resources. I have friends and family that are literally working themselves to death, and I'm sitting here rambling about peace and inner stability? I'd smack me. Still, I know that I need to make use of my blessings and be the best person that I can be.

Sorry for the ramble... (I'm not as crazy as I sound) :)

I definitely overdid it in the pool the last couple days. I'd been lazy too long and lost some of my strength! I think I'll take today off and maybe find some ab exercises to do instead.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Good Morning!
Dean I so need an on track weekend. They are my downfall.
Silent you are so close to being under 300! Angela aka Vortex said her doc had her eat protein (Like a cheese stick) before exercising so she would not get so hungry after. It works for me. I used to exercise 100 calories off and then eat 800 extra. Try to use the people noticing pressure in a positive way.
Erin buffalo cauliflower sounds good what is in it? Good luck on your sleeping schedule. I hope we can all sleep in on Sunday!
Terra so is it safe to assume you have a treadmill? I saw you had a big salad the other day that should have been good for flushing out some water. How are your feet looking?
Sam so true about needing to make a transition to succeed in weightloss. I too had to clear out the clutter (people, things, ideas...) before I could move forward on this journey. So happy for you!!!
Betsy Spring must be in the air with that list of projects. If I remember you are a very busy gal as the weather improves. How is the co-op? How is Toby?
Jane sorry to disagree with you... I think inner peace is not vain but vital. I think it helps us to find our true reason for our existence.
Anyhow, I am feeling a little meh today.

Besty - sadly balance is still far away the scale is up AGAIn and thats not a sign of balance.

Sam - Good for you, even when I've low carbed it for a while I still always want them!

Terra - Hope you have a great day at home

Erin - Oh wow, I'd be exhausted good on you having all that energy to make it through a very long day.

Dean - Yeah I overindulged in the sushi it was our own home version which isn't as good as professional sushi with sashimi grade fish but it was made with love lol and I was hungry post workout :-| (which is a recurring problem this week!)

Jne - sorry you're feeling too sore, my abs are still hurtin from tuesday but I know it means I worked hard. I'm taking today "off" for totally non health related reasons. I have plans tonight that I need to get ready for and I slept in this AM.

So yeah up another 2 lbs. I want to blame the soya sauce? Well and the rice, and I had a muffin in the A.M. My eating habits left a LOT to be desired yesterday and the results are obvious on the scale I'm moving way in the wrong direction. Definitely not making the less than 300 before Cuba dream. I'm back up above ticker weight. I hate that working out makes me hungrier... I'm lucky to maintain my weight when working out regularily the hunger gets so bad, that its only be sheer force of will that I don't eat a ton. Yesterday was bad, I had way more sushi than I should have. I had the equivalent of 3.5 rolls probably, and shoudl have kept it at 2. Thats a LOT of carbs. I guess my apetite is finally back, I blame the workouts. :-| It's even worse when other people then place a TON of really yummy food infront of me.


Sorry end vent. I just need to get back on track today. Even though I have plans later, maybe I'll be a nerd and bring a bunch of celery to the gathering I'm going to so I can mindlessly snack on that. :-\

Ubee - doesn't seem to work for me, eating before working out only stops me from physically feeling shakey and week. Not from wanting to eat afterwards. Frustrating. I've tried turkey. Cheese, yoghurt, peanutbutter... you name it. I still am hungry for about 24 hours after working out. :-\

Good morning all. Sounds like a lot of us are struggling with end-of-winter blahs that translate into overeating. I am determined to not gain back the weight I lost from being sick......especially since I still have 10 pounds to go to get back to what my ticker says!

SilentArctic -- Don't know what to suggest about curbing the exercise hungers -- don't have that problem. I'm with you on the portion control problem. I swear I want one of those little devil figures that show up in movies to appear over my shoulder and ask me if I really need to eat such and such! We'll whip this.

Ubee -- Not sure meh is a word and yet I knew exactly what you meant. Hope you're feeling un-meh soon! Yes, spring is in the air and I've started my project list. This year I'm paying someone to do about half of them so I can focus on the never ending yard and garden work. The co-op remains nuts and Toby remains adorable if the size of a calf. He is going to be a very LARGE dog.

Jane -- I'm with Ubee on the inner peace. There's nothing vain about it. I honestly believe we won't succeed at this journey until we come to grips with what got us here in the first place and find some self acceptance and peace with our lives. It's ok to focus on yourself. You still have time to feel compassion for family and friends and even help them if possible. Sorry you're sore from the swimming.

Dean -- You're such a positive guy. On track for the weekend it is!

Edo -- Buffalo cauliflower sounds interesting -- can you share the recipe?

Terra -- Do you wear an ipod when walking inside? Maybe a soothing mix of nature sounds? I'm assuming you must be walking on a treadmill if you're walking inside.

Sam -- You've got us thinking about finding balance in our lives -- in all aspects of the word.

Lately I've been realizing that a lot of my eating habits where I get in trouble focus on eating way too much of one item. For instance, last night I made up the remainder of a container of chocolate chip cookies that I'd bought for the grands. Now if I'd had one cookie it would have been an acceptable treat. Of course, I ate 6-7 of them. It dawned on me that I didn't enjoy cookies 2-7 any more than number 1. So while I will continue to count calories and carbs, I'm going to put more focus on portion control and finding substitutes for foods so that I don't just go nuts. One example -- I really miss pasta. Saw a recipe for mac and cheese cauliflower. Miss spaghetti, but want to try using spaghetti squash. I'm going to try having a lot more of my protein from my vegetarian cookbook -- maybe go meatless for 2-3 days a week. Hope everyone has a great day. Time to start the runs to the gym and the doctor!

Betsey Portion control is a huge issue for me too. Even with broccoli I can over do it.

Ubee Why so gluM?

Silent that really stinks. Have you tried taking many cinnamon capsules. It is supposed to really balance out your blood sugar. They are not that expensive and might be worth a try.:hug:
All right so now I can not stop thinking about what Jane and Sam were talking about. I think this is an area I need to work on. If I am not getting good energy, I can not give good energy. Time for some personnal and physical house keeping.
Thanks girls!

Jane we cross posted. I think I am still in a slump from my hysterectomy. It was way more emotional then it should have been. I feel so much better everyday of the month. It is just so weird. Plus winter blahs. We do not have it as bad as you but still...
Betsy thanks for the laugh about Toby being calf size! Please let me know how the spaghetti squash goes. I am thinking of buying a spiralizer to make veggie noodles.
Portion control seems to be a problem for many. What are some tricks you can share? Do smaller plates and bowls really work? I try to portion out the servings for my family and put the leftovers in the fridge before we eat. That way I may be too lazy to get them out if I want more. Plus during clean up my mouth is thought of as a storage container!

Ubee - its okay I was just venting its really only a problem when my friends want to hang out post workout...(which they did last night)... because then I'm around food and have a harder time saying portion controlling... when I am solo I am to tired to bother getting food...

And just try and ignore the nauseated feeling in the mornings... Coffee is a somewhat decent appetite suppressant in the short term.

As for portion control, in general I have to MEASURE. I have a bunch of pyrex measuring cups and even if i'm not calorie counting being concious of the volume of food I'm consuming can at sometimes keep me in check.

Also sticking to 1 serving size at a time helps (but again i don't always do it) ex if I'm going to indulge and have doritos, counting out exactly 12 or however many I decide is onplan.

I'm trying using a smaller bown than the usual midsized dishes I use (they're not plates and not bowls. But usually I just go get second helpings if I'm still hungry it doesn't really deter me.

Measuring is key for me... I have prep bowls that also show "3/4 of a cup" or whatever on the side, sometimes I use them to serve food too... it works better when I'm eating alone not sure how a family would feel about eating out of measuring cups. Personally I'm okay with it... don't know if you want to pass that kind of neuroticism onto children though.

Ubee I'm sorry - in one of my absences, I must have missed that. A hysterectomy is a huge thing emotionally. I can't imagine the strength you have! I feel like an *** now. I'm glad with time you're getting better and I hope spring finds you soon!

Jane no need to feel like an ***. Actually you helped me today. I sat in my rocker by the wood stove and gave your question some more thought. Yes, it is the reasons I said plus a few more. Acknowledging them was huge! I went on the treadmill and got some good endorphins going. I feel much better. Thank You!
Silent if we can not vent about that stuff here where can we? There is no way I could eat just 12 Doritos. I have empty plate/container syndrome. My kids know I am screwed up. They kind of watch my husband for how to behave/act in life.
So glad for the support today. Thanks! (Well everyday too...)

Sorry I haven't been around, y'all. I am reading your postings & thinking about you. I'm just really busy, because I'm fired up for writing in French to all my new French correspondents, some in Canada and some in France. Plus it's time for me to work up the gumption to write my first long handwritten letter to my Belgian friend, Robine: I really want to make sure I protect myself, and say the things that would be most helpful to her as well. I think I'll be ready to tackle that tomorrow. Sunday we're having our niece and her son over again—probably gonna make that a weekly thing. I've been "cheating" a bit by eating some sugar-free muesli, and I occasionally miss a day of doing my leg exercises, but other than that, it's the same old stuff in my weight loss efforts. My moods have been so stable lately—it's marvelous!

Best wishes to all for a weekend of what you want to do, for your health, not what you feel like doing, which may be wrong for your longterm plans. Want can win out over feel!

Ubee ~ We have a treadmill but I dont use it, I walk to and from the kitchen to the front room and back to the kitchen again and I do that for 45 mins while listening to my cd player or my playlist on youtube. Its quite a distance and my feet are looking okay at the moment.

silent ~ Thanks, I am having a great day at home today, I wont go anywhere else until Tuesday

betsy2013 ~ Nope I dont have a ipod but I listen to my cd player or my youtube playlist.

I walked for 45 mins once today but I'll do better tomorrow and try to do at least 2 walks tomorrow if not 3.

Ubee mentioned portion control and asked for tips. Here's my strategy: small plates & bowls (I even use teacups for things like nuts) do work, but it helps if you combine them with eating far from the food source: if there's lasagna for dinner, for example, don't put the big dish of it on the table where you're eating. Instead, set up a kind of buffet in another room, like on the kitchen counter. Or do what Ubee does, and put the leftovers in the fridge before you sit down to eat. Then, make yourself sit at the table for at least 15-20 minutes after you finish your portion, before you get up and walk by the big pan of lasagna on the kitchen counter or wherever. Those 15-20 minutes give your stomach time to signal your brain that you've had enough to eat, so you're much less tempted to go for a second helping.

And even if you're only having two cookies, you should make yourself put those two cookies in a small cup and carry the cup far away from the package before you sit down and slowly enjoy them. Then, sit there with a smile on your face and wait a while before taking the cup back to the kitchen. That way, you're much less likely to get the package back out of the cabinet and dive into it again. And how about storing things like cookies up high, so you have to get a stepstool out to get to them? I do that, too: I store my macadamia nuts up high, to reduce the frequency of my eating them.

It also helps me a lot to use Brooke Castillo's hunger-fullness scale. The scale goes from -10 which is ravenously hungry, to 0 which is neither hungry nor full, to +10 which is so stuffed you're miserable. Castillo recommends that you check in with yourself frequently and give a number to what state of hunger or fullness you're in. In the beginning, when you don't know what your scale is, you should keep a little hunger-fullness diary where you write down the time of day and the -10 to +10 number. It doesn't matter if you're making wild guesses: you're learning to read your body, and to pay attention to its signals.

Once you can assign a number to your hunger or fullness, then you use it to tell you when to eat and when to stop eating. Castillo suggests that when you get down to -2, you should eat something: don't wait until you're much hungrier. Then, you should stop eating when you get to +2. In practice, I find myself eating more from -3 or even -4 of hunger to +3 of fullness. But I really notice now when I go over the limit and eat to +8 or more: it's a yukky feeling. How much better I feel when I stop at +3!

Good Morning!
There is a chance that the promise of Spring may be in the air. I am feeling much more human today. I am wearing a tight pair of jeans that I could not fit into until yesterday. I'm hoping it will give me a full feeling throughout the day. I do check in the mirror ever once in a while to make sure I am not turning blue!
Fi thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I will be looking into luncheon plates for my family. Would you mind sharing how long it took you to figure out your body and its hunger clues? I do teach my daughter that if she is going to have a cookie... to sit down and enjoy it. I think that is so important. So often I used to feel guilty about something that I would shove it down my throat and not even enjoy it. How messed up is that?
Terra I've got to give you credit. You do a great job getting that exercise in! Are you enjoying your little nephew?

Ubee ~ Thanks, My sister in law and I are gonna go to the mall here in a few mins and we'll be there for a couple of hours so I'll definitely get some walking in today but I'll be sure to walk again tonight also. Yes I've been enjoying my little nephew.

Good morning all. Toby and Becky just came in from outside mainly due to the wind is blowing so hard out there that it's mean to leave them outside (although they don't seem to mind!). They're now taking a nap to re-energize before their next bought of playing. 150 pounds of dogs in the house is fun but messy!

Terra -- You are DEDICATED to your walking to walk inside. But when something works, I definitely don't question it. Good for you.

Ubee -- Yes, I'm thinking of renting out Toby to young 4-Hers so they can learn beginning calf roping. Although I'm not sure that all the licking he does should be part of the training. Sorry you're going through the doldrums right now, but glad you are taking some time to reflect. You're our cheerleader, so hope that things continue down the feeling better route.

Jane -- I have to admit that I've never had a problem with overeating broccoli.

Fi -- You have so many diverse interests! Hope the letter to your Belgian friend goes well -- know it will be a hard one to write let alone in a foreign language. Thanks for the portion control hints.

SilentArctic -- Sounds like you have the portion control concept under control -- at least at home.

There's a lady here in town who lost a ton of weight, and whenever anyone asks her what diet she was on, she said none -- just used portion control. This has really gotten me thinking. A bell went off in my head the other day (this happens frequently.....ringing bells in my head sometimes even for a reason) because I saw my dad's coffee cup in with my other coffee mugs. It dawned on me that even our coffee cups are 2-3 times the size of what they used to be. I saved his cup because the man drank coffee all day long -- instant and preferred it if you can believe that -- and I wanted it to remind me of him. So, I've started trying to find out what the portion sizes were back in the 70s-80s. Also, back when I tried Weight Watchers, I bought two big spoons from them that measure 1 cup and 1/2 cup along with measuring spoons that are 1 and 2 tablespoons. I already have the luncheon plates. Now, I just have to get my mind around eating smaller portions and eating it slowly enough that my tummy has time to talk to my brain. I've about convinced myself that if I can develop eating habits I can live with for the rest of my life, then the weight will come off more easily. I've got to stop thinking of this as "modifying" my eating habits, but they need to be changed, not modified. OK, off to shampoo the rugs and do more thinking!

portion control is a huge issue for me. even now that my stomach is do much smaller, I still Sometimes over do it. I like the idea of putting the leftovers away.

got my swim in today, and I'm doing some house work but pretty slowly. It's a lazy day here. planning a surprise party for my boyfriends 30th next week. Should be fun.

Betsy - I have it in theory but I don't always adhere to it.

Terra - go mall walker :-D

Jane that sounds fun

Ubee - just for you...

Went to a startrek themed surprise party last night that was fun. I did over-indulge a little bit I generally stayed further away from the food table which helped to limit my food intake and only really had 3 drinks which sounds like a lot but between the span of 7pm and 12:00 am not too shabby for me. Just a lot of chit chatting with a lot of friendly people. I nerded it up and had made a costume, I got told "gee you put a lot of effort in just for a theme party". I usually do though I enjoy, costumes and nerdy things like that. Especially when I can try and do something creative with makeup. It didn't photograph well unfortunately but was still fun.



Didn't get a lot done which is a problem but I tried.

Silent!:hug: A party is just what I needed! Who did you dress as? Were there great decorations? Three drinks is just enough to help relax you! I so give you permission to not have gotten things done. This is way more important. Remember when we die at 100 years old we do not want anyone to stand over us and say "She worked so hard her whole life." We want them to say "She sure knew how to have fun!" Cuba is going to be so much fun!
Jane will your party have a theme???
Betsy I am back!:cheer2: Good job noticing the coffee mugs. My light bulb went off! We have a cup from our honeymoon which is small. The last one I bought is HUGE! My kettles and casserole dishes have grown also. Wow. Right in front of my face and I never noticed. That was nice of Toby and Becky to make a mess so you could get in some exercise cleaning it up. Good doggies!
Terra how was the mall? Did you get some window shopping in? Are the Spring clothes out yet?
I am doing so much better getting my exercise in and it is really helping my mood :cheer3: and my sleep!
Nighty night!

betsy ~ Thanks for commenting on my walking

silent ~ Yeah it was fun lol, Im considering going 3 days a week.

Ubee ~ Yeah it was fun, I bought 10 pairs of Zebra ankle socks for 10 dollars, They were 2-pack of 5 for 10 dollars. I cant wait to wear them.