Old Hens! 40+ and Ready to Lose #79!
 

Good Morning Ladies!

I get to start the new thread! Been a while since I did that.

Hope you all are avoiding the heat today. Heat index for today is 117! :yikes: I'm going to thank my lucky stars that I have an air-conditioned indoor job! My momma's biggest wish for me growing up was that I have a job in air-conditioning...that was all it really took for her to consider me a success. You know, I don't think my kid would have any concept of that. :chin: - hmmm, I must be feeling reflective and old today! :p

Well, WI wasn't so bad after all yesterday. Didn't lose, but didn't gain. Not exactly a steller first WI, but given my appetite this weekend, I'd say as good as I had a right to expect. Stayed OP yesterday - I think. Kindof hard when you can't really count the points. I had salad for lunch, and estimated it at about a 6. Dinner was pretty bad-14 pts! But that's what you get with a burger and tater tots...even if it is one you make yourself. I even turned down ice cream after! Today is the same-having salad again for lunch. I am, however, planning on skipping the ultra-wonderful broccoli salad they have on the salad bar. It's just the BEST thing ever, but I can't begin to count the points. It's broccoli, raisins, bacon and pecans with some sort of really sweet dressing. I could eat my weight in this stuff! :drool: Today, I will have some fresh fruit to finish up my salad instead.

I will do yoga today too! :yoga: Skipped it on Monday, but I parked 1/2 mile up the road so I have to walk right by it. Yes. On the hottest day of the year, I parked away from the building so I have to walk. :dizzy: Idiot. But yoga is 1/2 way there so in the long run it won't be any farther than it would be if I walked to yoga and then back to my car in the state lot. This way I have no excuse not to go to yoga and, in fact, I'd be a fool to not take the hour break! Anything to trick myself into exercising! :lol:

Ruth: You have my utmost sympathy on the tests. I HATE MRI's. CAT scans are bad enough, but MRI's are torture! I haven't had one for quite a while now, but I was having them every four months and I hate them. I'm fairly claustrophobic in addition to being a big fatty. Thus, squeezing me into the little tube, was twice as bad. I haven't had one since I've lost quite a bit, so I may tolerate them better now. Last time one was scheduled, they took me back 10 minutes early and I stood there looking at the little tube, talking to the tech about how small it was and wondering if it was possible to get stuck. By the time the got me on the tiny, uncomfortable, table - I freaked out! So I never had the last one. I suppose I should mention it to my Dr. that it's been a while. :barf: CAT scan's are just uncomfortable too. I know that the equitment is made for normal folks, but with so many people in the US overweight, you'd think they'd make them wider or something. Anyway, I'm rambling. :blah: I hope you get good results! And stay OP with me! :D

Thin: You posted AGAIN! :cp: I'm so glad! Sorry to hear about hubby's job. They talked about doing a furlough here for state employees a while back, but nothing came of it. And now we're all getting 4% raises? (The first raises in years, I might add.) I'll never figure out budgets...not surprisingly - I don't think the government can either!

Angela: My best friend also has marital problems right now...although not to the having to go "think" stage just yet. I find it almost impossible to stay OP when she and I are together. She wants to sit and talk, with a full-fat mocha cappucino or cake or both! Standard "food fixes everything" thinking. I hope things work out for your friend. Good for you staying OP!

Terri: Baby horse?

Has anyone hear from 2Cute? I've been wondering about her and her sister.

We have entirely too many ladies MIA right now! Lesley? 2Cute? Valerie? Sue? Charlotte?

Do you know that 300+'s own Zelma is in a slimmer of the year contest? http://www.slimmingmag.com.au/ Click "diet" then "slimmer of the year" and give her a vote! Vote early, Vote often!

Well, time for my next hearing, so I best rush off! I'll check back later and, echoing Terri - stay cool and stay OP ladies! :wave:

Good morning, dear hens.

Yesterday went well, both exercise and diet-wise and I finally lost another pound!

Today I have a slight migraine and am just gonna take my pills and lay in the shade and either read or sleep til it goes away. We are having our date night tonight and I need to watch what I eat for lunch so I won't go over the caloric allotment for the day. For breakfast I had some GoLean cereal w/ nonfat soymilk and a small banana. This all came to 250 calories which ought to leave plenty of room for yummy fish tacos tonight!

God bless you all,

Celery

Celery: WTG on the loss! Every pound counts!

Thought I'd list my fast-food, OP lunch today. Roly Poly Tuscan Turkey Sandwich on low-carb wheat tortilla. 12 inch. 456 cal. 8.4 grams fat 10 grams fiber and 20.2 net carbs. 8 WW pts. and totally YUMMY! :T

my intro
 

Hi everyone,
I just joined and thought this looked like the place for me. I'm 41 so I should fit in just fine :) My name is Sheri and I am just starting my journey again. I gave up for a long time, but have fresh motivation to pull myself together. I'm looking forward to making friends and finding my place here.
Hugs,
Sheri

Lillion, I heard from 2Cute today and she is doing okay, her sister is doing better again, has been moved to a nursing home, is still bedridden, but sitting up some and I think talking to them, But her prospect is still very critical.
2Cute is home for a few days, with a lot to catch up on there.

We got word that a friend died this morning. Around the first of the month she entered the hospital because she was tired, and they discovered she had pancaretic cancer. She only lasted about 3 weeks.

My work has been unusually quiet this week. Something must be brewing!!!

I finally got my new teeth today. The partial that I've been waiting on since March. Feels really funny and I haven't learned how to eat with it in yet. Maybe that'll help with the weight loss huh?

I've made it to exercise everyday this week except today and that was because I had to be at the dentist early. So almostt 2 perfect weeks... How long is it supposed to take to make a habit??? Am I almost there???

Well, that's all I can think of today. Hope everyone stays cool.

Hi girls! :wave: Here we are again. After 1:00 AM!!! :yawn:

Been gathering all my paperwork for tomorrow's BIG run as a :showgirl". Lots of movie trailers to check. I'm sure it will take me all day.

I've got a lunch date with the ladies from the Nursing Home my dad was in. We get together once a month for lunch. Nice bunch of ladies. Most of them have lost their spouses. A couple had a mom in and I guess there are a couple whose loved one is still living, but not many. We all became friends as we would go to feed lunches or dinners to our people and after they've passed we still are keeping up the friendship.

Food has been decent. I'm not totally "on" but I'm working on it daily. I'm gaining my PMS weight this week but no other symptoms so who know's whether Mother Nature will show this month or not. As long as her symptoms don't come with her I don't mind so much!!! I know, TMI!! Sorry. :o

Lilion: Cute about your mom's idea of success! :lol: Moms, gotta love 'em! :love: Your lunch sounded good. We don't have that particular chain here. :(

Celery: Good job playing lean during the day so you can splurge a little at dinner. That's what good planning will do for you. GREAT job on the pound DOWN \!/

Sheri: Welcome to our little corner of the world. :welcome3: We're glad to have you joining us. What type of plan are you on?

BarbG: Glad you're doing so well. 21 days is the sign of a new habit, you've only got one more week to go until the "magic" kicks in. :D Bout time the teeth came in. You'll get used to them. *No excitement at work? That's a first.

Terry: Did the workout on the bike in the morning help with the stress? I'm getting antsy to get my evil machine set up in "my" room.

Ruth: That's the pitts about the tests. My doc said something about a colonoscopy since I turned 50 two years ago. I keep putting her off. Finally, this last time I told her, I don't want to do it at this size. I've seen my mother at 100 pounds lighter than I am be soooo uncomfortable on the skinny little gurneys they provide. And I've seen my girlfriend's husband who's 60 pounds heavier than I am be totally uncomfortable when he went for his heart cath. I'm just not doing it unless I have to. Shame on me.

Ok, girls, I've gotta run and get some sleep. Full day again tomorrow. Take care. Love :love: ya bunches!

Ok, CAN SOMEONE JUST SHOOT ME PLEASE??? :frypan:

I am going way over the top here! I learned a long time ago that I have a bit of a, shall I say, "obsessive nature" :D I also learned that those of us with such an infirmity have a tendency to engage in those behaviors more once we start getting cleaner with our food. :dizzy: Something about being "more vulnerable". I'm sure some of you know what i'm talking about.

Any way, it started with a new spice rack...now that sounds fairly benign you might say. I was concentrating on a new "lifestyle" and way of eating, why not start with a new set of spices? Of course, who can be serious in the kitchen without a kitchen scale? Or in the bath without a new bath scale with all the bells and whistles? :goodscale Certainly not me! Then it was, hmmm, these knives are really old and don't work that well. I NEED a new set. Ok, a new set of knives. Then it was, ground meats, especially any that are lean are getting so expensive and then you don't actually know what your getting even then. Soooo, I should grind my own! Yup, a new grinder so I can do my own. Yesterday, I heard a little voice calling me from the shelves. It was the cutest 1.5qt crock pot. "Take me home, take me home..." Awww...Soooo Cuuuuuute. :hug: Besides, I'm going back to school in a few weeks, i'll need the extra time. Now, it's a dehydrator! I love sundried tomatoes, to much salt; "Just Tomatoes", very expensive; dried fruits and veggies for snacks always have something added! !@#%*%#!

Do you see??? :crazy: :faint: Pheewww...ok, I feel better now. Thanks for letting me rave! :blah: I think it's over now.

Barbara, thanks for the update on 2cute. Sorry to hear about your friend. Scary, she went in for being tired, and no other signs. :(

:welcome3: to Sheriengle. Hope I didn't scare you away! :lol: I'm sure i'm not contagious *twitch*

Lilion, I work with a number of "youngsters". A lot of them don't have a clue. ;) I feel so old when I mention something as arcane as *gasp* the Beatles, or just last week it was Jerry Lewis. They went "huh?" *sigh*

Celery, sleep is good! :bravo: On the loss.

Terri, is there some reason you can't have snacks in your diet? Why torture yourself? Just include them on purpose and make them count nutritionally. :D

Angela, been there done that with the friends. It can be so stressful even on you. Take care of yourself as well. :hug:

Thin, Ouch, sorry for the time off. It's hitting a lot of places. Does that mean possibly more time for you? ;)

Have a good night everyone!

Karen: Look at the bright side, you've got NO excuse now not to lose some mega pounds. :lol: If only buying stuff made THAT easier! :rolleyes: You might want to try a bulk foods store for the spices to fill that rack though as spices can get VERY expensive. :yes: Honey having to take days off won't mean more time for me, it will mean I have to work twice as hard to make up for the lost pay. He says they can take one day a month til the end of the year or 5 days in a row to make a week off. He said he'll do the one day a month because there's a chance that things will look brighter in the 4th quarter and they may cancel the furlough days. Well, if you've already taken them, you won't get them back. I think they can claim unemployment if they take them all in one week and I'd rather gamble that things will NOT look up and get the $$$$ than to think that it might end up being only a couple of days. Don't know what Honey will decide. :shrug:

Good Morning
 

Thanks for the welcomes. I'll be starting WW on Monday. I've done the program before and did well....then got pregnant :) I had no problem staying on program so i'm hoping it will be the same again. Hope everyone has a great Friday!!!!!!
Hugs,
Sheri

Good morning, everyone! :wave: Just checking in before going out. Revolving door here. :lol:

Sheri: Good for you starting WW. It IS a great plan, balanced and flexible. I saw you filled out a bio. Thanks. Most of us have ours in there too in case you get curious. ;) I see you mentioned your fiance`. When's the wedding? Do we get to help you make plans??? haha

Gotta run, girlie girls. My day is starting off late already. Gosh, I hate that!!! See ya soon. Love :love: ya bunches!!!

Hi Sherie, how nice to meet you! Welcome to the henhouse!

Good Morning Ladies!

It's FRIDAY! :cb: And so far it's been a nice day. Not nice outside, mind you...it was supposed to rain and get cooler. So far it's sprinkled and made it more humid...but I feel GOOD today!

I think it has something to do with yoga. Yesterday's class was GREAT! It just kinda "clicked", you know? I did all the poses with very little difficulty, remembered to breathe, and finished up feeling really, really good! Had a nice, OP dinner, courtesy of DH who cooked, watched a movie with him and had a relaxing evening. Today, casual Friday! I'm wearing my slimmest size 20 jeans and they are nice and loose. No bra! :o :lol: Seriously, I'm wearing a cami with a built-in bra and a shirt over, not awfully flattering, but way comfy! I just kinda feel attractive - I just feel good all over.

It's one of those days when I feel like I CAN DO THIS! :strong: I can stay OP and get to Onederland! I love days like this - they are too few and far between!

Sheriengle: :welcome: I'm sure you'll like it here! You can't go wrong with this group of fabulous ladies! I do WW too - although I don't do meetings, I just follow the plan. I had old stuff from about 8-9 years ago that I started out with then someone with duplicates sent me the updated materials. My DH is doing it with me and that makes it way easier. It's a plan I've followed before and it worked then too...I just never stuck to it like I ought and would always gain back. But this time is different - it just feels different, if that makes sense?

Thin: Okay, I got you're showgirl job where you count the theater goers figured out, but how do you check movie trailers? Just watch them? You're jobs always intrigue me.

Karen: It may have been a complaint - but I loved your post! I wish I could get away with buying all that stuff - but I'm too much of a miser! :lol: Sounds like you have EVERYTHING you could possibly need now! WAIT! Do you have a veggie steamer? Pampered Chef makes great micro-cookers that I use! And a water purifier? I'M JOKING! Don't buy anything else! :lol:

Barbara: Thanks for the info on 2Cute - I'll keep sending those good thoughts her way. I'm very sorry about your friend. How sad and sudden. :hug:

Well ladies, I've eaten my OP lunch and now I must get back to work! Love to you all! :D

Uh-oh - we lost TERRI. I bet she's off playing with the baby horse without even telling us what make and model she got. (Just kidding Terri, I bet you're slaving away over torn flower beds and overtime at work. Miss ya!)

WELCOME SHERI!!! Glad you'll be off and running on Monday. WW is great - it's working for quite a few folks around here.

LILION - What a wonderful day you're having! Thank you for sharing it. It's uplifting!

Gotta run cuz my friend Barb is dragging me (kicking and screaming, to be sure) out to the tack shop and a movie. Just what I need to lift me up a bit more. Can't understand why I'm so bummed out today.

Hi ladies,

I'm here! I'm here! Just didn't have much to say this morning.

We had a storm come through this morning and dropped the temps. Such a pleasure to be outside now. Of course, I spent the day at work so didn't get to enjoy it! :p

I should be up doing some housework. Time to clean the house and I plan on being gone tomorrow. I also don't get much done on Sunday.

I think DH and I are going out to eat this evening. We haven't gone out to eat at night since we moved down here over a month ago. We've eaten out after church a couple of Sundays but that was at a small town diner. That was more like a meal at mom's instead of eating out.

Speaking of eating at mom's - tomorrow will be a food landmine. I'll just have to limit my portions because I know the food choices won't be healthy.

No horse baby! I'm sure she's waiting for mom to be gone for a few days next week so that I'll be on my own (along with the vet).

DH got a thrill today. We installed a device that buzzes inside the house when someone comes up the driveway. We've had several times when it would buzz and no one is in the driveway. We figured it was birds or the neighbors horses walking at the fenceline. This morning, it buzzed and then buzzed again so he went to the window to see. Two deer were walking up the driveway and then hopped the fence over to the neighbors to head to their pond.

Valerie - How rude of your friend. :lol: I really hate it when Jan from work makes me go to tack shops with her. :rolleyes: What movie did you see? Hope you had a great time and it picked up your spirits.

Lilion - Well, congrats on not gaining but sorry that you've not lost either. But it helps having days like you had today. Woot! I'm so excited for you that you're enjoying the yoga and that you're feeling great from it. Wish I could do that with the cami but alas, boobs too big and it would be way to obvious. :o

Sherie - Welcome! to the group. Good for you for going back to WW. Good luck. Jump in often so we can get to know each other better. Looking forward to it!

Barb.G - I'm sorry to hear about your friend. That is so scarey that her only sympton was that she was so tired and it turned out to be cancer. :hug:

Thin - Thanks for reposting all the recipes. I really need to check some out again. Sorry about the furlough thing. Cutbacks in one form or another are happening all too often. Unfortunately, it is a sign of where the US got caught taking our economy for granted and didn't pay attention to other foreign countries ramping up to join the capital markets. We will be outsourcing work to Poland and they can take a lot more of our jobs. Very sad for us American workers. (Sorry, no offence intended to others from other countries)

Karen - The snack problem at work is that its usually a snickers bar or something like that. I should get better organized and yes, work a healthier snack option in.

Celery - Hope your headache feels better!

Okay, I have to get a few things done before we head out for dinner.

Have a great Friday night!

Hi all--

Just a quick check in. Life's been a bit crazy and I'm pretty pleased that I've managed to stay OP regarding food, at least. Worst thing is that somehow I managed to throw my back out. Anyone know any good exercises for lower back pain? I've got to get rid of it by Sunday! Supposed to be doing a museum/dinner out day with my friend-who-I-wish-was-more (let's call him FWIWWM, shall we?)

Sheriengle: Welcome!!

Lilion: Glad you felt motivated and happy today! There will be more of those I'm sure. And don't forget to share them--I want to know one might be coming.

Terri: You tell Ginger we're all losing our heads!

WI tomorrow... TOM's been here all week, so I think it should be a fairly accurate WI. Let's see what a week of eating OP has done, given that I really didn't exercise.

Have a great weekend, all!

Today was a very nice day. I did the minimal Curves workout but went on a hike at the state park which is on the (Pacific) Coast. I hiked around for two hours by myself and had a great time. Unfortunatley, when I got home I discovered I had brought home with me a few ticks. They give me the willies.

Good food day, too. Oatmeal and berries for breakfast, two Trader Joes cereal bars on the beach for lunch and some veggie spaghetti and salad for supper. I am tired and faintly hungry, which is as it should be.

No baby horse! Jeepers!

Lilion, your description of feeling and looking good today really made me smile. It's working!

Karen, I can relate. Sounds like you got some good stuff!

We are invited to dinner tomorrow night. These folks are Danish and are not the type of people to insist I eat a lot of food and aren't into frying, so it should be ok. May we all eat carefully this weekend! May we enjoy every bite but may they be few and well-considered!

Hugs to all,
Celery

Hi, all!

I introduced myself several weeks back, then lost the thread and found it again, but things were very stressful in my life and no time to breathe, let alone regroup to deal with the stresses... so I haven't been online.

My control over my eating was falling apart along with my knee. I was managing to lose a pound or half a pound each week, so I let the bad habits continue, but now I've gained four pounds back. Can barely stand on my knee at times, so walking is cut way back. Lots of depression and frustration around that, as I walk for the pleasure of it, not just the exercise. Now instead of hiking through woods, I'm doing laps around a middle school track, and instead of 1 1/2 - 3 miles, it's 1/2 - 1 mile, with pain at the end. Not just walking, but standing up to cook a decent meal is not something I can rely on at the moment.

You are all such a lively bunch, I hate to bring in my gripes. I guess I'm here as a first step to getting back on the diet. I'm planning a chicken stir-fry with lots of veggies for tomorrow.

Thin, I love your slogan, Make efforts, not excuses! I'm going to pin that up somewhere. Applying it to my knee, there's nothing wrong with the rest of my body, so I could be doing other kinds of exercises.

More about the knee: I saw an orthopedist about it, and he took x-rays. He found a torn meniscus, which is probably an old injury and not the cause of the present pain and collapsing episodes. He also found arthritis behind the kneecap (yecch). Understand, I had no pain from this until I started taking the glucosamine he prescribed and doing the physical therapy exercises. Now I feel the grittiness he was asking about.

Anyway, I saw the doc again yesterday, and he thinks I should just remember that I have this arthritis and keep working to lose the weight. The knee problem isn't from the arthritis, I'm sure of that. The weight is very likely contributing to the problem, but the onset was sudden, not gradual. I feel like he isn't even trying to see past the weight. OTOH, what more could he do? He did an x-ray and an MRI, he's prescribed physical therapy and the glucosamine chondroitin (anyone familiar with this stuff?), and recommended getting the weight off. If I was skinny and had this problem, would he do anything different? Well, I'm thinking of seeing a sports medicine doctor, if I don't get laughed out of town for getting "injured" from just walking.

Meanwhile, I'll feel better emotionally as well as physically if I get back on the diet. I had a short trip earlier this week and gave myself permission to go off the diet for it. I figured I'd not diet but would try to keep things reasonable. I didn't wholly succeed with this, but having done it, I'm really ready to get back to eating right.

So, a note about my trip. I flew coach and was too wide to put the armrest down. Thank god the armrests can be pushed up out of the way! But don't you know, my two seatmates were also very heavy. The three of us were really wedged in together. At least they were considerate people and at least I wasn't the one in the middle! Flying back, my immediate neighbor was very slender, so no problem except the armrest had to be pushed back. It has been years since I last flew, but last time, though a bit tight, that armrest was down, in place. What a reality check.

To end on the bright side, I tried on some clothes I haven't worn in a while (thinking I'd wear them on my trip), and they were so big it was almost a joke! Even though I've gained the 4 pounds, I'm fitting into the jeans that are a size down from what I've been wearing. So I'm losing inches even though the pounds haven't been coming off lately (because of my cheating and lack of walking mileage). It's sort of undeserved, but I'll happily take it!

[Edit: Hated having to move my chickie back!]

Well, ladies, the first batch of fresh turkey breakfast sausage is out! :D I'm beginning to feel like that Stewart dame. ;) 4 oz has only 140 cals and 1.5 grams of fat with nothing artificial, no salt, no sugar, just lots of sage, fennel, parsley, onion and garlic powder and a touch of cayenne...YUMMY!

Thin, nope, no excuses, just a messy kitchen...the dishes never seem to end! :o

Lilion, don't worry, it was meant to be amusing! ;) You had me laughing out loud on the veggie steamer, I saw that coming a mile away! BTW, I do have both. :high:

Siena, welcome back. Just keep finding us. :hug: I know exactly what you mean on the knees. That was probably THE major motivation I had this time. It got so bad I could hardly work. That's scary.

Side to everyone. I wanted to make a comment on the whole flying issue. Has anyone heard any more about certain budget airlines charging double for those they deem to large? I had a few online friends affected by that. They were actually delayed, evaluated and told that they were to large for one seat and would not be able to fly unless they purchased 2 seats. Very humiliating. :o

Angela, OUWIE on the back. :(

:wave: to everybody else!

Have a great weekend!

Hi Siena, I am glad to meet you.

I have found that the thinner I become, the better all my body parts work. It is hard to figure out what ailments derive from extra weight and what ailments would have been there even if we were skinny minnies.

For instance, headaches. As I am losing weight I am discovering that my headaches are less frequent and less intense. But is that because of the weight loss? Actually, I think it is because I am drinking a lot more water! I think in my case I had frequent headaches because I didn't drink enough water.

So who can tell. But all in all I would say that losing weight will help improve a lot of chronic nagging health problems.

Again, great to have you here, Siena. Congratulations on the smaller clothes!!!

-Celery

LILION – It looks like you’ve discovered a broccoli salad very similar to the one I became addicted to. I make it at home now with fresh squeezed lemon juice and Omega 3 & 6 rich Flax seed oil instead of that dressing, and it’s surprisingly yummy, plus extremely healthy. I’m really glad your WI wasn’t so bad, even if it wasn’t your best ever.

CELERY – I love fish, even for breakfast, but somehow the idea of fish tacos is just a bit too weird. I wish I could actually try them because they must be wonderful the way you talk about them.

TERRI – I hope you had a nice ‘real’ dinner out with DH. The tack shop we went to is a small local one and we’d even called ahead to be sure they were open. When we got there, however, there was a note on the door that said “Gone next door to pick up hay.” Well, anyone who’s ever picked up hay knows that it’s at LEAST an hour or two long event, and usually longer depending on how much hay you’re picking up, and how much chatting there is to be done that day.

We decided not to wait and went to the movie (where I not only ate the popcorn, but way too MUCH of the popcorn.) We saw Pirates of the Caribbean II. I’m a big Johnny Depp fan, and of course I love a good sword fight, but it was really pretty ho-hum. I suppose the special effects were good since they were so really gross, but the other guy from ‘Lord of the Rings’ really stole the show. I really like a long movie – the longer the better generally because then I feel like I got my moola’s worth, but 2 ½ hours was rather unnecessary in this case.

Maybe next we’ll check out Uma Thurman’s “Ex-Girlfriend” movie. Comments? Reviews?? Whuddaya say, THIN?? We were disappointed to discover that 'John Tucker Must Die' wasn't available yet. Definately a chick flick, that one.

ANGELA – I have my fingers crossed that TOM will depart, all your back pain will be gone, and FWIWWM becomes FWIM (Friend-Who-Iz-More!) in the near future. Have a great day Sunday!

CELERY – I don’t even go to certain State Parks during tick season – yuck! I lived for a brief period out near one and was taking showers 3-5 times a day cuz I hate them so! They got on the horses and were everywhere!! I totally sympathize with you! I hope you have/had a lovely dinner with your friends. Love that line – “enjoy every bite but may they be few and well-considered.” I agree as well on your statement: “I have found that the thinner I become, the better all my body parts work.” I can hardly wait to see what else will work better next. =)

SIENA – I’m so glad you found your way back! And we understand gripes – we all have them. I certainly hope that at some point you can find a remedy for that knee. I have some lower back arthritis but so far nothing I can’t deal with. A few months ago I had ankle pain and I know how terribly limiting that sort of thing is! As for the glucosamine/chondrotin, it’s WONDERFUL stuff! It’s not a med that you will feel right away, so give it time. When you hit your mid-30’s or 40’s your body stops producing the glucosamine which naturally lubes your joints. It not only helps ease the arthritis pain, it helps to prevent wear and deterioration of the joints over time. I would suspect the physical therapy before the G/C if your pain has increased. When I’m taking it (which I SHOULD all the time but don’t) I feel it starting to help in a week or so, but some people say it takes up to a month. I definitely DO feel a difference when I stop taking it in less than a week. I also give it to my old, arthritic horse, and I can see a definite difference in his comfort level as well. I’ve known a number of people who take it and no one has ever complained that it increased pain – quite the opposite in fact. I hope it helps you!!

GINGER!!!! WHERE'S THAT BABY?????

Well, everyone, I have work to do so I better get to it. It’s almost 3 and I’ve been worthless so far today.

Good Evening Ladies!

Well, Saturday night and all is well! I admit, food hasn't been terrific this weekend, but it hasn't been the worst either. I've made a couple good choices and a couple bad. :shrug: Friday we ended up going out for dinner...Seafood Fajitas. Ate way too many chips and shouldn't have split the steak quesadilla with DH, but all in all, seafood fajitas are way better than what I could have had. Unfortunately, DH wanted ice cream after, so I ended up with a blizzard-type treat. BAD CHOICE! So then I went to the store and stocked up on some better choices - fruit and FF pudding and such...so I won't be so willing to give in. Forgot the Cool Whip for Thin's recipes though. Darn.

Terri: Hope your weather was as good as mine today! It was NICE here! The cami is one of my favorite pieces of clothing...and the chest isn't an issue for me - Even 80 lbs ago I didn't have "huge tracts of land" and that seems to be the first place I lost! Tell Ginger to get a move on! We're all chomping at the bit! (pun intended :p )

Angela: A little late, but try these exercises for your back! http://www.nismat.org/orthocor/progr...ck/backex.html Low back problems are miserable! I had epidural steroid injections twice for disk problems, shooting pain and muscle spasms way down the leg! Owie! Hope it feels better! Hope tomorrow goes well with FWIWWM.

Celery: I HATE ticks! They were awful when we did our medieval camping thingy in June. They would announce every morning to remember to do tick checks - (with a friend - more fun that way :lol: ) I got a lot of them...and still have several lumps where they were pulled off. YUCK!

Siena: :welcome: BACK! Don't dispair about the 4 lbs gained. I went off the wagon in May and just jumped back on now - about 5 lbs higher than I was. :( So sorry about the knee problems. I haven't had that particular problem and hope I don't - but I feel for you. By all means you should get a second opinion. You can never tell - they may have some wonderful idea to help you.

Karen: The turkey sausage sounds great! When DH and I went to Vegas April 05 I was still 300 or so. We actually went ahead and bought three seats for the two of us. I was just so afraid that I wouldn't fit and DH is a big guy too (he's lost about 50 lbs) so far and was over 280 then. As it turned out, we probably didn't need to. We're about 5'10" so I'm not as wide as I might be. Still, the worry was definately there. I think it's awful that they'd do that to a customer in front of everyone. Although I understand the need to fit in the seats, you'd think they'd have some guidelines for when you make the reservations or something. If they pulled me off a plane I'd never fly again. :no:

Valerie: I actually really liked Dead Man's Chest. In fact, DH and I will probably see it again since we went without the kid and so he still needs to see it. I've heard that most folks either really like it of really don't. Me, can't get enough Johnny Depp and Captain Jack is probably my favorite character he's ever done.

Well ladies, must run. It's late and I'm about ready for be. So for now - Good Night Ladies! :D

Thanks for the good thoughts and encouragement all.

Thanks especially, Lilion, for the back exercises.

It's a bit better today... I babied it, did some other, even easier back exercises I found, and read most of the day. I've gotta be good enough for an hour drive tomorrow--I've got a quasi-date (dinner/movie).

Siena--Good for you getting back on track.

So HAS anyone else heard this news about airlines? I hadn't, and I'm getting ready to buy a ticket...yikes.

:sp: Well, I have been perfectly OP for three weeks but tonight I ate over 1000 calories in one meal. Some friends had us over for dinner and fixed the most wonderful meal imaginable, all for us. Lamb roast, potatoes, ice cream- oh my. I usually don't eat meat so when I do there are usually digestive consequences. All I can console myself with is this: 1. If it weren't for my diet I would have eaten three times as much and 2. I used to eat this much for dinner every night. :sp:

No exercise today, either.

Good morning ladies,

Looking like its going to be a beautiful day. Yesterday was fabulous although it did get a little warm later on - certainly NOTHING like it was earlier in the week.

I had a good, and a bad, day down at mom's. A good day from the perspective of having a really good visit with my sister (now that we've cleared the air earlier in the month) so it was good to have that time with her. Guess I've missed that. A bad day from the perspective of how out of touch I've been this year about my mom's living conditions. She's 75 and been on her own now for 3 years on a 20 acre farm with an old house. It has gotten so into disrepair that, IMHO, needs to be bulldozed. She found out yesterday that she has floor damage due to a water leak in the subfloor area in one of the bathrooms. The shower, stool, and sink area has to be removed and the floor repaired. The alledged buyer of the house is supposed to be buying it AS IS and with no inspection or warranty's. But she feels that she has to repair it since she found out about it. The bid yesterday was $4400 but the Mormon family that came to take her piano said they could fix it for a lot cheaper. Think she's going with them just to get it done. But the house is absolutely full of crap and she's packing it to take with her. WTH! I've told her that she has to get rid of stuff. Boxes of material and yarn. Boxes of craft books that she's never even used. Stained glass supplies. Leather making supplies (which she's very good at and used to do but hasn't in years). I've long thought all the craft crap was not about doing the craft but some comfort from "buying" it. A way to get back at dad for money he had spent on something stupid (which happened a lot while I was growing up). And that behavior continues as she buys more :censored: from all those stupid catalogs she gets. The house is filthy too. That really bothers me. That my mom chooses to ignore that part and live like that. Sis thinks it is perhaps depression about being there by herself and the repairs have gotten out of control and no one to help her. Neither of my brothers can make time to go help her. (Which is another thorn in the side about my snootyville brother). Sis and I are helpless when it comes to that kinds of stuff. Sis is going to check on a big dumpster and make her throw stuff away. She is going to have an auction in September. OMG and the magazines that are piled up. Where have I been in the last year?????? Oh geez, it has gotten so out of control. And we have two months to get her packed, stuff sold and tossed, and moved to 3 hours away. I convinced her to rent a storage area in town and to be taking her boxed stuff to storage so we can rent a really big truck and drive her there in October. So, I'll be spending most Saturday's down there helping her until this is done. I'm not kidding, I almost :faint: when I walked in. Still horrified about it. She did try to tell sis and I to my our own business when the plumber was there. Keep that up and I'll jump her a$$. We have to hear that from DH's mom and I'm NOT taking that from mine! :lol:

Enough ranting about that.

Oh yeah, and the food yesterday was bad. Tasted good but was bad. Fresh blackberry dumplings and fresh peach pie. I wanted the blackberry dumplings because I remember mom making those eons ago and that will more than likely be the last ones I get. Wasn't quite the same as she used canned biscuits instead of real dumplings. :rolleyes: Sis wanted the peach pie. I brought a big container of both home but it will be going down the garbage disposal. Mom really didn't need it either as she is diabetic and her weight is too high for her body. She's 220 and I'd be thrilled to weigh that. :dizzy:

I'm staying home from church today. I need to work on financial stuff and get that all caught up. I also want to putz around getting more stuff unpacked and do some outside work. The pool needs cleaning after the wind storm we had Thursday morning. Just want to have a day here.

I think I'll cook up some chicken breasts to have on hand for lunches. I've been spending too much each day in the cafeteria and its too easy to make bad choices.

So Ginger and I had a little chat while I was cleaning her feet last night. She said she's not worried about having that baby and don't expect it until next weekend. She's probably planning a surprise 2 AM birth when I least suspect it. She also said to quit feeling up her boobies and leave her alone. :lol3: So here's by prediction: August 1st and its a boy.

Celery - You've done great to be OP for that many days in a row. Count this as a planned splurge day and celebrate how much better you did than before. Now just get right back on track. I used to have sinus infections all the time and sinus headaches which have improved since I drink more water.

Angela - Hope your back is feeling better. I do the Windsor Pilates Back exercises that really help me. Even though its pilates, they are not difficult movements. Really stretches out the lower back to hamstring muscles which relieve my pain. Enjoy your quasi-date with the FWIWWM! Inquiring minds need to know the details later on. :lol:

Valerie - What a bummer about the tack shop. I really do have to stay out of those places because I like to buy too much. I love the smell of saddle leather. I need to get my tack room set up. However its this hideous yellow color (why paint it in the barn?) which I'm not sure I want to paint or not. Plus I want to put up better hardware for hanging stuff. Know of a good mail-order source for tack room organizer-stuff? I'm a fair-weather Johnny Depp fan. Depends on the movie and outside of that, he is such a bizarre person. IMHO!

Sienna - Welcome back! Sorry about the four pounds. But you can get it off again. The knee sounds sooo painful. Get a different doctor! Glucosamine is supposed to be good stuff. We used to give it to the dog for his hips. :D Why no anti-inflammory meds for the arthritus? That would at least help with the pain while the glucosamine would help improve the joints. DH and I still both take celebrex for our arthur. I do hope you get some relief for the pain soon. Gripe away! That's what we're here for. Helps to relieve the burden.

Karen - That sausage sounds really good. Maybe you can post the recipe on the recipe thread??

Well I better get this posted before I do something dumb and end up losing it. Think I'll go work on the linen closet for awhile.

Have a great day!

Hi ladies,

I'm back! I got up off my big butt and had a very productive day.

I unpacked several boxes. Arranged the linen cabinet. You'd think a house with 2100 sqft would have a linen closet. Nope its more like a cabinet in the master bedroom closet. I may have to get rid of towels! Completely rearranged our clothes in the closets. Did several loads of laundry. Watched Fun with Dick and Jane. Repotted two plants. Weedeated the front landscape area and down the fence line on one side of the driveway. Had to quit when I ran out of string. Made sun tea. Spent over an hour in the pool cleaning, floating, and doing some exercise. Fed the horses. Sat and watched a hummingbird war out the front window. Took pictures of the place. May vacuum the bedroom before I go to bed. Whew! It was nice though.

Here's a link to photos around our new place. http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...60&uid=1162304 I thought you might like to see what I'm talking about!

Well, I'm off to put up the clean clothes and go relax in bed. Have a good evening. I won't be posting in the morning as I have to be at work really early. Make Monday a great day!

Terri, I loved the pictures. I can see why you love it!!!

The wierdest thing hapended to me this weekend. The keyboard on my laptop quit working. Completly quit. I couldn't enter anything. no passwords to log into sites, nothing. It was like that until a little while ago, I was trying to figure out something and I saw something in the systems tool menu abut restoring the system, so I ran that and restored it back to Thursday where I knew the keyboard worked, and now I'm typing on it. Don't have a clue what the problems was, but I'm sure glad it's fixed.

Hi, everybody - I'm home!
Wed had a really nice time. Henry IV Part 1 was in the Tom Patterson theatre - a small, experimental theatre in the round. My daughter wants to be Falstaff, I think, although the actor who played Hotspur wasn't very good - the one who played Prince Hal was adorable.
And South Pacific was so good that we went to Oliver, because half the cast is the same, and they were all so good. So it cost a whole bunch of money - we all love live theater.

In Stratford, we stayed in an old farmhouse on an organic farm about 20 kilometers outside of town. The walls are 2.5 ft thick, and our room was lovely. And the breakfasts - slow-cooked oats that have to be soaked overnight, and fruit cups. Yummy!
Stratford has many of the best restaurants in the area - lots of what-you-call fusion restaurants, with tapas and fresh salads. Getting everything organized was tough - long, slow breakfasts, matinees at 2, evening shows at 8 - it was complicated but possible.
Niagara Falls was much harder. Lots of really crummy restaurants, expensive. I've never been in any other Wolfgang Puck's, but I would highly recommend that you skip the one in Niagara. If you're ever there, go to the Old Stone Inn. I had the baked trout with roasted baby vegetables. Yummy, yummy.

One thing I've noticed is how much more fit I was on this vacation than I have been for several years - I mean, my knee still killed me, but I managed to walk many of the tourist attractions, like the white water rapids (.25 mile walkways). This diet and exercise thing actually helps.

Will post replies tomorrow - just too tired tonight. Puppy is also home from the kennel, so I'm being stared at.

Sue

Good morning!
 

Just checking in this morning. things are going well. Op and still not drinking enough water. That is the one thing I have the most trouble with, well that and the hated exercise.:p

Terri, loved the pics of your place, nice. That is a lot of yard to weed eat. We have a lot too, but I don't have to do the work, thank goodness. I wish we were out like you are. We have land but it is in the middle of what I laughingly call the city.

Well my dears, that is all for this morning. I wish you all an op day. Ta, Ruth

checking in
 

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to check in. I wasn't able to read posts this weekend so i'm getting busy now!!!! My fiance was here for the weekend so we were busy, busy. He's a big BBQ'er so that was challenging. I did pretty good though. Hope everyone has a great week..time for me to get busy reading!
Hugs,
Sheri

Good Morning Ladies!

Happy Monday! Well, mostly happy Monday. - Just plain Monday? :yawn:

The weekend was okay. I had good choices and bad choices. Let myself get too hungry at one point and grabbed trail mix at WalMart. Wouldn't be too bad...except I ate at least four servings. Not hard to do when a serving is like 2Tbsp. So, 600 calories later! :faint: That would be one of my BAD choices. On the up side...I craved SALAD yesterday. On the down side...I wanted a salad-bar salad with cheese and egg and what-have-you. We went to a pizza-type place here in town with Italian and Greek food. I did have salad, but they didn't have any low-cal dressing and I had ranch. :( But I also had the grilled chicken sandwich - instead of the Gyro - which is one of their best dishes. All in all, I've done worse. And today I'm back on track.

I have an fairly easy Monday and Tuesday - hearing wise. After work, Yoga then SCA - we're learning how to make cheese tonight. I understand it's a simple, yet stinky, process. :lol: So my day is full. Looking forward to Yoga, although it's with the guy that about killed me last time! But a challenge is a good thing. I got DH to do some yoga stretches with me yesterday...as much as I could remember. He would go with me if his hours allowed it, but he gets off work at 5:30 and that's when they start.

And his hours are about to get worse. He's worked in the prison for 15 years or so and got the job thinking it would be a year or two. He's now got his Associates Degree and a job with Probation and Parole. Just an entry-level, the $$$ the same, but he's out of the prison and out of uniform and there's a much better opportunity for advancement. He's thrilled and I'm happy for him, but his shift is 4:00 p.m. to 2:30 in the morning! Four days a week with alternating days off. :eek: I HATE the very idea of this shift. He'll be gone when I get home from work and I'll eat dinner, take care of the house and go to bed alone and then he'll come crawling into bed and wake me at 3:00 a.m. He said he'd sleep on the couch until I get up...but I'd rather lose sleep than not sleep with him at all! He also said that he'd be able to go to bed with me three days a week, but that's not really true either...he can't be switching from days to nights throughout the week. And what these days off are going to do to our vacation plans is anyone's guess. All in all, it's gonna suck until he can get a new shift, which will take some time, six months to a year. The only up side is when DS is home from school we won't need a sitter anymore. Of course, I've put enough $ in Cafeteria plan to get me thru the end of the year and if I don't spend it I lose it...so that's not such a plus either. I just have to keep reminding myself that he's hated his job, which is a dangerous and underpaid job at that, for years. This is a step up for him.

Okay...sorry for the long vent. Not like I can complain to him about him taking a much better job.

Terri: LOVE the new place! I can see why you like it! DH would have loved to have land when we bought...I just wanted to live where they'd deliver Chinese food! :lol: I won! Sometimes though, I really wish I hadn't. It would be nice to have some ground without neighbors right on top of you. (The barn notwithstanding - What were they thinking??) Your discussion of your mom's house sounded so much like my Aunt Mae. When she moved her kids literally had just trails thru the house, no room to move! And Fingerhut was her best friend! They got rid of all her junk...but last time I visited it was starting to build up again. At least your mom's stuff has some use-craft stuff is better than just nick-nacks. And it should sell pretty well if you advertise crafting supplies.

Sue: Your trip sounds so nice! I've never been anywhere north east of Missouri - except Chicago, which hardly counts. That's country I'd love to see someday.

Angela: How was the date? Inquiring minds want to know! Hope your back held up.

Ruth, Sheriengle, Celery, Barbara - Howdy! :wave:

Well Ladies, I should get a move on- I just found a totally old file in a drawer I HAVE to get a move on typing. So - Later Ladies! And Have a Happy OP Day! :D

Hi chickies! Just wanted to check in and catch up before we start loading horses in to the fair grounds. Tomorrow is the first day of competition and I guess everyone is ready... or as ready as they will be.

Food choices haven't been great. While the bronchitis was bad I hardly ate anything, but my appetite is back with a vengence. I haven't been all bad - baked salmon and steamed asparagus for dinner last night, but haven't been all good - veggie roll sushi for breakfast this morning, followed by most of a cinnamon twist pastry. Thank goodness the dog was there to save me from eating the whole thing.

Exercise on the other hand has been great. Not much aerobics, but I've been very active from dawn to dusk, and with fair this week it's about to get even busier!

Well, the trailer is hooked up and we're off. Keep your fingers crossed for my girls. They've worked hard, and ribbons or no ribbons, I just hope all the kids come out this week in one piece with plenty of laughter and good memories!

GINGER, when I get back, I hope to see a foal report. ;)