Hey all...

I am back.... been a rough patch, but I am back and ready to start (again)

will change batteries in my scale tonight and update with a weigh in.

I have a workout buddy who is starting the Couch to the 5k program with me this week... my goal is to run a 1/2 marathon in Disneyworld... so time to start.

life continues with ups and downs, but I am feeling focused again.

Hope you all have a great day :)

Good Morning!
Welcome back Melissa! I vote we all stay focused!
Terra zebra socks sound fun. Is it a big mall? I wish I had a mall close by so I could go walking but then again I am not so strong at resisting the food court.
On to a new day...

Ubee thanks and I agree!!!

do anyone ever feel the universe is working against them?

I'm all motivated, but then I have a conversation with an old friend... who talks about wanting to get closer to me... but then coming back around to mention that he is still in love with his ex and wants to get her back and used the dreaded words "for now"... in terms of a relationship with me...... the worst part is I am torn..... he made valid points ( and analogies) and then inside I'm screaming about how this will just end up hurting me......

(he made the analogy of ice cream oddly enough, if you love one flavour but then decide to try another, how can you say your heart was meant for that second flavour, even though you end up loving it)......... whatever he wrote it better than that and I kind of get it........ but how can I enter into a relationship with someone knowing they have feelings for someone else, even 'IF' he could end up loving me (more)

it just makes me feel cheap...... sorry to rant to you (especially after a long absence)........ but honestly I don't have anyone else right now I can talk to about this......

this would be the time I would binge on chocolate and feel sorry for myself...... but trying not to.

Hey everyone!

Glad to see that my big rant helped everyone think about what our ultimate goals are!! I'm doing pretty good today and proud to have a good weigh in this week!! I lost 5.4 lbs!!!!!

This is just a short check in. I have to work on cleaning the house today, which I dread, get some grocery shopping done and make up my breakfast and lunch for the work week.

I'm glad everyone is doing well!! Have a POP day!!!

Good morning all. The silly daylight savings time has started, and I feel as though I've lost half a day because I didn't wake up until almost 8 this morning. Anyone else totally driven by when the sun comes up and sets? During summer out here, I sleep a lot less and feel just as rested.

Sam -- 5+ pounds. :dance::carrot::cb: That's absolutely wonderful!

Oops -- I started with personals, but my BIL just arrived for the socking (he still needs me to put on his TED hose) and to have a cup of coffee. So, Melissa, glad to see you back and I'm torn between advising you to go for it in the relationship or just saying chuck it. Ubee, glad to see your cheerleader self back. Rah Rah!!! Terra, mall crawling seems to suit you. SilentArctic -- what a fun party.

Sorry if I missed someone. Have a great day. I'm truly going to get the rugs shampooed today and work on a web site.

My niece Margaret & her son Gavin will be coming over soon, so I better squeeze in a posting while I've got the chance. I'm going to recruit Margaret to help me stow away some of the very large pieces of colored/patterned/textured papers I use as backgrounds for my collages, while I'm working on cutting out the elements for a new piece. If she enjoys doing it, I'll see if she wants to do some other stuff to help me. I always have a backlog of things that need to be done to pick up after past collages and get ready for future ones.

I'm pleased to report that I'm about 2/3 through writing my letter to Robine: it's going well, I think. I'm writing it on my iPad because that's where I have all my English-to-French dictionaries and grammar checkers, plus a French-to-French dictionary and thesaurus. Then I'll copy it out longhand in turquoise ink with my fountain pen. But it's not going to be just words: I'm jotting down notes to myself as I go along for little drawings I can make, plus rubber stamps & stickers I can use. Three cheers for snail mail! It's so much more personal, friendly, & cheerful than email.

I've realized that having that sugar-free muesli in the house is just a big temptation to indulge in carbos, so I'm going to stop buying it. The box that I had is now empty, and I'm not getting another. So there! =smile=

Ubee— I would say that once I started keeping a diary of my hunger and fullness numbers, it only took me a couple of weeks to be able to keep track of my stomach state without having to write it down. But before I started the diary, I read a very helpful book, Susie Orbach's On Eating. Of all the eating-related books I've read, Orbach's is definitely the best on the subject of how to tell when you're hungry and how hungry you are and ditto for fullness. It's short and packed with content.

Oops, I've run out of time! I'm doing the same thing Betsy did, starting the personals and not finishing them. Welcome back, Melissa, and good luck with your quandary! Way to go on the weight loss, Sam! Zebra socks are so cool, Terra! Good thoughts on portion control, everyone! Sorry for all the exclamations! =laugh=

Good Afternoon!
Betsy I was glad to have the time change. Now if Mother Nature would bring on Spring!!! Ditto on less sleep in summer. Sorry if any one does not agree but we are just like animals and need to hibernate some in winter.
Sam 5.4 is TERRIFIC!
Melissa that is a dilema. My girlfriends have banned me from giving advice when it comes to men. It seems my expectations of men are too high... Good luck and rant all you want we are here for you. Take it from someone who has more years experience with chocolate. It does not help anything. I tried it this morning and nope it did not make me weigh less.
Fi good job on cleaning out the food enviorment! Your letter sounds thoughtful and beautiful. Thanks for the book advice. I will see if the library has it.
Off to jump on the treadmill. Terra will be on here soon and I want to report back that I got a walk in too!

Ubee ~ I love my zebra socks, Yeah its a big mall, Two floors. I think getting a pretzel and some lunch there isnt bad, You just dont want to hit each food option there is. That is awesome that you got a walk in. Thats too bad that there is not a mall in your area so you could walk in the mall and get exercise that way.

Fiona ~ You never told me about how The Month Of Letters worked? Maybe you didnt noticed my post but thats okay.

Im gonna be sure to walk tonight

Ubee - LOL I think honestly no one will remember me when I'm gone except the few family that will be obliged to ;) I wasn't a specific character just a certain type of alien that had nose ridges nad wores a special style earing.


Terra glad you like the mall walking I think its perfect for when the weather gets too hot! (or too cold, but more on the hot side, airconditioning is a beautiful thing in the summer (as its freezing here right now lol))

time - welcome back! sorry about the stress your friend is causing, no advice your the only one who can figure out what is best for you, AND what you are willing to do and the limits you will set.

betsy - I dislike daylight savings I get use to the gradual changes in sunlight and the whole time change really messes with my rythm!

FI - you are strong saying no to the muesili!

Sam 5.4 lbs that is CRAZAY! :) Congrats

'So tired stupid timechange, didn't do much interesting yesterday, worked prepped for a birthday brunch at a friends today. Went there in trying to get afew things done at work before I zip off to my weekly sunday night plans. I am not impressed with my work ethic so distractable this weekend. I have stuff going on thats got me preoccupied but still stuff has got to get done!

Ubee we're pretty laid back. We'll just do a bbq at my brother's.

I slept the clock around! Went for a nap at five yesterday and woke up at 4:30 this morning. Plus side is I got most of my housework done and cleaned both vehicles out. Had a minor cheat with some nachos today, but I stopped after a few.

Hope you all had good weekends

Silent ~ Yeah I enjoyed walking in the mall yesterday so I think it will be the perfect thing to do 3 days out of the week. A/C is a beautiful thing in the summer, Im definitely agree with you on that.

Not a great day here! Did not eat all day till around 3pm, and then ate everything in site afterwards! Tomorrow is a new day and I will not let today reflect tomorrow. I keep telling myself I have come to far to slip back to bad habits!

Good Monday Morning!

Down just over 2 lbs this week, haven't adjusted my ticker yet, but pleased. I want it to come off soooo much faster, but I need to realize it didn't come on overnight either.

Had some great weather this weekend, and supposed to be getting close to 70 this week. Yay for spring!

Have a great week,

Dean

Good morning! Down another 1.5, which leaves me with just over five pounds of this blasted water weight left! I was saying in another thread that I'll probably get it off in time for the party and then have it all back on the next day!

The weather has been beautiful here the past few days. We literally went from -45 C the previous weekend to above 0 this weekend. The down side is that the melt is making everything wet. Have more party planning to do and some work for the board I sit on. I actually got a lot of housework done yesterday so I may even be able to a little painting to finish up the bedroom while my bf is away this week.

Dean Congrats on the two pounds!

Terra I work in a mall. You'd think I'd take the time to walk it in the winter but I never do. Might be because the tenants won't leave me alone if I do though :)

Good Morning!
The birdies were singing away this morning so I am thrilled!
I am going to committ to a week of weighing and measuring everything. Not my way of doing things but when the going gets tough...
Jane great work getting that annoying water weight off! A BBQ is good for keeping the food choices under control. Good thinking.
Dean way to go losing 2 pounds and after a stressful work week!
Erin today is a new day and a new week. I' m glad to see you. I've been missing your posts. How is your daughter?
Silent PLEASE stop beating yourself up for having a fun life! Go for it! How did you make nose ridges?
Terra have you decided which days will be mall walking days?
Have a good and focused day!

Good soggy morning from the Northwest. Rainy season has returned with a vengeance which means that my floors just have lots of little paw prints all over them. I decided it would be easier to wait until summer rather than clean them each day. :D

Ubee -- Heard an interesting story on songbirds on the news this weekend. They don't sing as much in the winter because it takes fuel to do so, so singing birds means that spring has got to be on the way. I think we're all ready! With you on the need to measure everything -- eyeballing it just isn't working as evidently I have big eyeballs!

Jane -- Another 1.5 off -- good for you. The water weight will come off and hopefully the party won't sabotage it. Laughing about beautiful weather being when it gets above 0. Guess it's all relative. You must have been really tired to sleep around the clock, but laughed at how much you were able to get done with getting up at 4:30. Maybe you're on to something here.

Dean -- Congrats on another 2 pounds off. Yes, it would be much nicer if it would just fall off with no effort, but doesn't seem to work that way. Keep up the great work.

Edo -- There are just some days where our good intentions do go out the window. I've done the same thing -- imagine we all have -- where I didn't eat much and then acted like a hoard of locusts going through the house. I'm really trying to eat 3 meals a day and an afternoon snack. It's helping, but I'm still battling the sugar/carb cravings.

Terra -- The mall walking sounds great and meant to tell you yesterday that I love the thought of wearing zebra socks. Two floors of a mall would do me in!

SilentArctic -- I'm with Ubee -- don't apologize for having such an active social life. And the work will get done when it gets done.

Fi -- So good to hear you talk about having your niece and grand nephew over for another visit. Sounds like you two could have some fun with teaching her about all that goes into making collages. And your letter writing efforts are impressive. Hope it comes out just the way you want it.

Guess I'd better get it in gear. I need to call the propane place and ask them not to remove the tank at the co-op until we can have another Board meeting. My BIL has to be dropped off at PT, I need to go to the gym, and this afternoon is definitely dedicated to getting the dingy web site developed.

Hi everyone! Sorry for the MIA, had a longggg week

Ubee - Gotta do what you gotta do :hug:

Dean - Pounds moving in the opposite direction is always a good thing!

Silent - feeling the same way about now. Time change was not the best thing to happen right now :p

time4me2change - Dont you just wish people would make up their mind sometime :dizzy:

SamIAm86 - You leading the club right now! 5.4 pounds continues to motivate me and help me understand that we're all in the same boat :)


AFM, going between 353 and 355 and 353 for the last week. Anything anyone knows that will help shock my system? :p

hey all, thanks for letting me rant!

Just a quick check in because I am doing that again, but just came off a (technically) 14 hour work day (all day at work, then a function supporting students who were competing in a competition).... just got home..... heading to bed in a few minutes, but will hopefully have some time for personals tomorrow :)

on a side note, someone at work today asked if I've been losing weight because I look good.... made me feel good :)

Hope you all have a great day!

Good Afternoon!
So I've been weighing, measuring, and logging. It is a miracle I have not doubled my weight! Wow was I off.
I get a :carrot: because someone was hurtful to me and chocolate only entered my mind for a minute and then I shrugged it off. It was not about me but her lashing out in anger about something she brought about herself. Why should I punish myself for some thing she did?
time4me glad someone brightened your day!
gurl hope you get an answer so I can know too.
Betsy I have BIG EYEBALLS and I am amazed at how often I walk, grab, snack. Stop, drop, roll, has nothing on me! How long before Bill can drive?
Having a good day and even have a window open!
Have a nice evening!

Yeah I'm always shocked when I measure. It's never anywhere near right

Don't pay the ransom, I have escaped. :rofl:

Sorry I have not been posting lately but my DW's Vertigo is back with a vengeance and as a separate item she frequently starts chocking and coughing. Her voice is very hoarse now. I took her to a new doctor,he is an ENT and he seems to really be trying to get to the root of these two issues. She has had a barium swallow test and a scope of the nasal passage and throat. All negative so far. An EGD is next. Today she had a ENG test and they found she has benign positional vertigo on the right side. We have a long list of instructions for this. My poor DW cannot navigate from the bed to the master bath that is connected to the bed without my help. She has not been able to eat anything since Friday morning until tonight when she had soft eggs and very light toast. So far so good.

I went to the family doctor today and he suspects that my anemia has returned. I sleep great all night and wake up barely able to keep my eyes open I am so tired. I have blood work tomorrow to see if the anemia is back. If so I will be back to the Hematologist who told me at my last visit the anemia may come back. If so I will be undergoing a bone marrow biopsy which I understand is somewhat uncomfortable to have done. Why this anemia happens is a puzzle to me. My Iron blood test readings are always high.

Even though I was absent from posting I have remained on plan with my eating. I have found my spice combination for the month. I have been adding 1 tsp each of garlic powder, Cajun seasoning and ground cayenne pepper to my vegetable stews, It tastes so good and it is very spicy just as I like my food.

Radiojane ~ Thats cool that you work in a mall

Ubee ~ Yeah Im gonna walk on Friday's and Saturday's

betsy2013 ~ Yeah I think mall walking is a good idea also and thats cool that you like the thought of zebra socks lol.

Good Morning!

Starting another early day with coffee brewing. I like these early mornings before anyone gets in the office-its usually the most productive time of the day!

Have a great day!

Dean

Good Morning!
This place keeps me so honest and on track. Thanks everyone. Yesterday was sad/hilarious take your pick. Wow! Do I nibble a lot. I know I eat large meals but what an eye opener! Going to track again today and do my best even if I have to guess. It is better then not tracking at all.
Dean early morning?
Terra did you get your walks in yesterday? I did not and I did not sleep well.
Larry I was starting to get worried. I hope you and your wife will be well soon.
Off to a rough start today but coming on here has snapped me back in line.
How is everyone doing?

Good mornin all!! I just made it in from walking my dog Hercules. I am back again for much support and encouragement. Luckily I have good news to report. I am 20 POUNDS away from my next goal. I went to my doctor yesterday for pain issues with my left wrist (carpal tunnel)..and on a whim stepped on the scale. I weigh 333lbs! Honestly, it's been well over ten years since I was this size. I teared up a bit on the scale..and cheered. I know that others in the 300s can relate to knee/ankle/back pains from carrying our weight around. BUT...I refuse to let it stop me. I have been walking 1-2 miles a day, drinking water, and I am on a steady sleeping schedule. Any words of encouragement to reach my goal is greatly appreciated! Thanking you in advance.

Peace and many blessings to you all.

:bravo: chinadoll!
Great loss and so happy you are close to one of your goals!
Good job keeping at it with the exercise!
Do you have any plans for rewarding yourself when you reach your next goal?

thanks so much Ubee!! I will treat myself to a pampering day of massage and relaxation. I haven't been focusing on the #s. Just increasing my water and activity. I am truly proud..especially knowing where I came from. When I weighed 413 pounds I was so miserable. I couldn't walk very well, my body hurt more, and I was very depressed. Now, I can finally see that my long-term goals are attainable. :)

Good Morning Everyone!

Thanks for all of the well wishes and love given with my awesome loss this past week! I'm hoping for another good weigh in week this weekend as well. Friday technically marks 2 months since I started this journey, but my official weigh in days are Sunday so I will do my weigh in and monthly photos to show my progress. I need to upload those on my profile more often.

Ubee I'm hoping spring is soon to come. It has been nice the past couple of days here, but I know when it turns to hot, its going to be sweltering LOL...Great job on fighting the temptation when someone makes you upset. I have been trying really hard with that too, but I am really focusing more on keeping the negativity in my life to a minimum as much as possible. Easier said than done sometimes.

Betsy You have been so busy with your BIL and trying to work on your health. I am so proud of you! You are a real inspiration to me, and I'm glad to have you as part of my little family :)

gurlnextgen Thank you so much for the love! I'm really trying hard! I know I've been doing good and losing a lot of weight, but last night I had a little freak out that I probably still have 2 years to go to get to the weight I want to lose. This is a lifestyle change for me, but it still can be scary sometimes. The only advice I can give about helping you get out of a weightloss slump is change up your exercise, maybe use a food journal if you don't already so you can see what you eat and how it affects your weight. Portion control is always #1 too, but I'm sure you already knew that. I'm rooting for you! If you ever need anything I'm here!!

Time YAY for compliments!! That always is reassuring you're doing it right!! It doesn't take long for people to start noticing weightloss, so glad that someone noticed for you! It's a great feeling, and makes me want to push even harder!!

Larry I'm so sorry your wife is going through vertigo again. I can imagine that gets very scary. Good thing she has an awesome hubby to help her. I hope your tests come back ok and that the anemia isn't coming back. I often wonder if maybe that is what is wrong with me. I am starting to sleep better at night now that I got a good mattress topper so I am sleeping through the night, but having to get up early for work has always been a challenge for me. Maybe I'm just not a morning person lol...

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great day!!! Stay POP!! <3

I generally only lurk but don't do this to yourself. You're worth more than someone who just wants a relationship with you "for now" because they're not sure if they want to be with their ex. He might be able to talk really sweet, and you may have feelings for you, but if he had any real feelings for you he wouldn't put you through something like this.

Well, I appreciate you coming out from lurking to reply.

I also agree with you.. (now that I've had about 2 days to really think about it)

Part of the reason I moved overseas (4 years ago) was to focus on myself and follow my dreams... I've been single this entire time, and this situation reminded me that I am (mostly) selectively single. I am perfectly happy at least 90% of the time with my decision, I also know that if I really wanted to 'settle' I could.

But you are right, I am worth so much more than that, and if someone won't put me first in their heart than I'm not opening my heart up to them.

Now I just have to figure out how to explain this to him without him trying to twist my words and make me the 'bad guy' (I did decline his first advance on me when i was 16 years old)......


In other news.... tomorrow starts my first step in the Couch to the 5 K program!! Excited and nervous!!!

Wishing you all a great day (and will do personals tomorrow because I will have time!)

GoodAfternoon!
Time4me how does thinking you should only be with someone who thinks you are the most perfect person for them make you a bad guy?
Sam I can not wait to see your photos! I am always so much more motivated when I am around positive people and people who are really trying. (Like our group!) So true on keeping away the negativity!!!
Chinadoll! I am so happy for you and all the progress you have made!
As for me... today is much better then yesterday! Logging food, while I am not a fan of it long term, sure is helping me.

time - you are not bad or mean for wanting more than he is willing to give you. And if he makes you feel that way for doing what you need to do to protect yourself he isn't as good of a friend as he's pretending to be. Plain and simple... its hard I know though because I think you're like me and you want everyone to like you and don't want to disappoint people even when you know you are doing what is best for yourself.

Chinadoll That is fantastic news! I'm so happy for you!

I've decided that I'm going to weigh when I get home from work because I like that number better :p Seriously though I think I have some water retention happening at night, could just be from DOMS but I was six pounds lighter at 5pm yesterday than I was at 8 am this morning.

I've been working on some stuff for non profit board I sit on, and I'm frustrated. It is truly thankless and the people involved are not in it for the right reasons, and are all emotion and no logic. I'm thinking of resigning come September. 2 years is a reasonable amount of time to drive myself nuts I think!

Lunch wasn't good today - it was a dagwood, because I once again forgot my wallet when I went to the gym, and the grocery deli had NOTHING on the shelves. I suppose it was still a better choice than Mcdonald's though!

Have a great day everyone!

Good afternoon, all. I'm normally a morning poster, but my BIL (known to Ubee as Bill) walked over this morning so I could put on his TED hose. Between that and not waking up as early due to the clock change, it threw off my whole morning. Hope every one is having a good day.

Jane -- Unless you get one of their salads, just about anything is a better choice than Mickey Ds. Focus on the fact that you went to the gym. Totally understand your frustration with your volunteer work. My time on the Co-op Board is over at the end of September, and I am ssssssooooooo looking forward to being done with it. Same reason as you.

SilentArctic and others in response to Time4Me -- Ditto.

Ubee -- Yeah, all that tracking can be eye opening (easier to do with big eye balls!). I entered everything that I've been putting in my salads and found out that there's a 300+ calorie and 60 g of carbs difference when I add in the dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and grated cheese. So those will not be in there tomorrow. Good job on not turning to the chocolate -- easier said than done.

Sam -- You're really doing so well. Please do post those pictures.

Chinadoll -- You are definitely on a roll. Keep up the great work and keep reporting as you're inspirational.

Dean -- Before or after work was when I actually got all my work done. The rest of the day was back to back meetings so I know what you mean. Hope that coffee tasted good.

Terra -- You've got me thinking about buying some jazzy socks to liven things up at the gym.

Larry -- WOW. Sounds like you and your wife are going through a lot right now. Vertigo is absolutely miserable and anemia isn't exactly fun either. Hope that both of you can find some relief soon.

It's a gorgeous day here and is supposed to be tomorrow as well. I'm fixing a braised sauerkraut (sauerkraut with apples, onions, and caraway seeds in a little liquid) with pork chops on top for supper tonight. I love sauerkraut, but am not real thrilled with what it does to my tummy. Hope you all have a great remainder of the day.

betsy2013 ~ Thats cool

Chinadoll ~ Congrats

Evenin all,

I felt like posting twice today so that's what I'm gonna do lol...

I just got done with a short lived work out. I'm sweating like a hog but I'm sure I didn't burn much today. My stomach is kinda queasy for some reason and I started getting a headache so I had to stop at only 30 minutes in. I guess that's better than nothing, right?

How was everyone's day? Things at work are starting to get better paced so I'm hoping to have my morning check in every day here soon.

Maybe later on if I start feeling better I'll do some arm exercises. That HIIT workout is just too much for me today...

Big love to everyone! Hope your day was happy and healthy!!

Hey folks. I haven't posted in a few days because I've been so angry at something Bob did Sunday night I haven't been able to get my brain to function. But I think I can talk about it now.

Sundays are turning into our regular night for having our niece and her 7-yr-old son over, and somehow the conversation around the dinner table turned to the subject of sweets. =sigh= I didn't join in, of course, but there the three of them were, chatting away about chocolate and cake and banana bread and so on, going on about what sweets they like, which ones they don't like. If I were to repeat all the things they said about foods that are mostly sugar, I know it would drive you guys batty.

But I actually felt pretty well-defended and was handling it OK, until my husband brought up this stupid Internet game that's all about...you guessed it: cookies. My nemesis. And of course since Bob was stressed by the social contact, he got sticky-obsessional and compulsive about describing absolutely everything about this cookie game, which apparently entails all different kinds of them, grandmas who bake them, factories that make them, planets that are covered with them, and so on and so on. Except that he wasn't saying "them" the way I did just now, he was repeating the word "cookies" over and over and over again, to the point where my brain got completely fried. So I asked him politely if he would stop talking about the game and stop saying the word "cookies." He looked at me, registered what I'd said, and then proceeded to keep going, describing more and more levels of the game, repeating the word "cookies" so many times, finally I blurted out, "Bob!! If there were someone at the dinner table who had just quit smoking, you wouldn't start going cigarette-cigarette-cigarette-cigarette, would you?" Which made everyone stare at me of course, and I got really embarrassed, so on top of being freaked out, I felt like a total fool.

I only quit binging on cookies at the end of November. It hasn't been that long, not to break a habit that lasted for decades. Thanks to what Bob did, I spent the rest of Sunday night, until 4 in the morning, in a painful state of cookie craving. Arrrrgggh! And he didn't really apologize, either. He acted as though I was unreasonable to be so mad at him.

Ever since that happened, I've had a really hard time getting food into myself. They say that restricting is the flipside of binging, that if you have Binge Eating Disorder (BED), which I'm in recovery from, that you run a risk of going to the other extreme, and restricting your food intake in a way that's self-destructive. It's all part of the anorexia-bulimia-BED spectrum of eating disorders.

Every time I take like a couple bites of salad or turkey, my stomach clamps down hard and starts hurting, like I'm not supposed to eat. I know it may sound like a great way to lose weight, but believe me, it's really miserable-making. Already, before this cookie game thing, I've been having trouble getting enough calories into myself. I rarely eat as much as 1000 calories a day, and I can tell that it's slowing my weight loss down, because I've been colder than usual and really lethargic and my stomach hurts a lot. That's been going on ever since my friend Robine cut off communication with me on January 29th.

The last two days...I've hardly been able to eat anything at all. I kind of tricked myself into eating some cheese sticks in the car on the way to the post office and back. But salad and sliced turkey, with some kind of fish about once a week, are the mainstays of my diet, and I'm having a heck of a time getting my stomach to accept them. This has never happened to me before, so I don't know how to deal with it. I've always been a binge-after-binge-after-binge kind of person. I've never had problems with restricting. I guess I need to find a book about it or something, but my brain is very fuzzy from being in semi-starvation mode.

Sorry to go on so much about myself, but I needed to talk about it and bring it out into the open, so it would be less scary. I'll let y'all know how things go. Tomorrow is another day. Maybe tomorrow I can talk Bob into making an omelet for me: I'm sure I could eat an omelet.

Fi-Talking it out sometimes makes it easier to take control of. You CAN do it!

Time4-Sometimes we focus on the short-term so much, that we deny ourselves the best for us long-term... You deserve someone that sees only you... They ARE out there.

Everyone else-I'm rootin' for 'ya! (and too lazy to post much more, LOL)

I was having a bit of a struggle getting going this morning, but seeing all of the upbeat responses here really helps me keep on going.

Have a GREAT day,

Dean

Good Morning!
Fi we are here for you. This is what we are about. This is where you should come when you are struggling! I really wish I could give you an in person hug! Please keep us updated. I will be praying for you AND for Bob.
Dean fine with me if you don't do personnals. I just enjoy seeing you with your cup of coffee every morning! Just knowing you are rooting for us all is terrific!
Sam I can not thank you enough for reminding me to keep negativity out of my life. Some had snuck back in and you helped to make me aware. Thanks!
Terra you are kinda quiet. Did you get your shopping in yesterday? What about your walks? How is our buddie Clyde?
Betsy I love kraut. My mom taught my husband to make it that way except we cook it in the meat juice and add brown sugar. How is th co-op going? Any stories? You do know Silent is going to Cuba for us soon?
Silent the pressure is on for good Cuba stories!!! i'M SO EXCITED YOU'D THINK I WAS GOING! Sorry caps locked too lazy to fix.
Jane you are my hero. You are so dedicated. 6 pounds would make me crazy. Good for you for knowing your body and how crazy it is with water retention.
Yesterday was an epic fail. I woke up this morning all blue. I started thinking what I would post today. Just knowing I would post lifted my spirits and made me believe in myself! Thank you all for being here. Back in the day this would have been the day I threw in the towel. But because of all of you it is just another day to learn on my journey!

Good morning all. Greetings from someone who is relishing having a totally self-absorbed, uninterrupted morning.....makes me realize just how spoiled I am!

Ubee -- I totally understand about changing our behavior to keep on truckin' even if we do have days where we just fail at staying on plan. I realized this morning that I can't even remember when the last time was that I stayed on plan all day. Up for a challenge. Let's see how many days in a row we can string of staying on plan and then we'll go to Cuba with SilentArctic!

Dean -- great day to you as well.

Fi -- Bob probably has no concept of how just hearing about cookies is for you. I've had some real eye openers about various things in my life when I finally experienced them, too. Made me realize how insensitive I had been even if I didn't mean to be. I'm more worried about your eating. Sounds like it's time to mix things up. I know you're doing Atkins. They have a couple of cookbooks that might have some new recipes and there are several really good low carb cookbooks with loads of recipes. Hope that the omelet tastes good and gets you back in a healthier eating approach.

Sam -- 30 minutes sounds like a pretty hard workout to me. And, yes, any workout is a lot better than no workout at all. Good for you.

OK, Ubee (and anyone else that wants to join in) let's start stringing those days together. How about a daily reporting of days on plan? We can do this. We want to do this. We benefit from doing this. Time for one more cup of coffee, then to the gym and for the big event of the day.....my semi-annual cleaning at the dentist. Have a great day everyone!