Good morning!
Yup, I can't say enough about journalling your food (or walking). I firmly believe that if you have a written record of what you eat, you always have something to assess. If you're losing beautifully, you'll know why. If you stop losing, you'll know where to look for tweaking.
Go Kim ... that's fabulous news!

Hey all! I had a good morning so far. I was laying there in bed, thinking about how great it is to just lay there in bed, when I decided to get up and get my exercise in (I went walking). It is supposed to hit 90 today and I have a feeling I'm not going to want to be outside walking when it is that hot. So, I'm very proud that I got up and exercised. Just thought I'd share... gotta take those little victories when you can! The really great thing is that I have been back home for about an hour now and the rest of the family is still sleeping! I love to have some time to myself, if only for a little bit! Time to be here, talk to you guys, and drink my coffee!!!

Gosh, remember when it used to be staying up late with friends, drinking beer, and partying? ....... I think I remember that! ...... Of course, that's part of the reason I'm a fat chick!!!

Anyway... It's been a tough week at work, so I'm glad for the weekend. I have a lot of yard work to do and some kid stuff to do today, so it will be a busy weekend. But, at least it is stuff that is kind of fun to do. I hope you all have an exciting Mother's Day planned. It is actually becoming a bit of a tradition for me to work in my flower beds on Mother's Day. I like to do it, so that's my choice.

Susan: You are so good with your journalling. I am going to try to do that, too. I just hate taking the time to do it. I feel like I'm always under the gun doing so many things that I hate to add another "to do" to my list. But, then I look at your success, and that is impressive. I vow to "think" about journalling. I'll have to sneak up on actually committing to it!! ha!

Kimush: Good job on breaking through that plateau! It sounds like you have a fun weekend planned, too. Have a great time!!

Clydegirl: Take the 1/2 pound and run with it! To me, anything showing a decrease is a good thing! I have been checking on my scale every so often this week and I'm a little concerned about what will happen on my Monday weigh-in. Torture!!!

Jo: How did your son's play turn out? Those things are always fun. My kids are on their last 2 weeks of school. They are treating it like they are already in summer break, so I'm having to ride them about getting their work done. I've been getting them signed up for camps and such for the summer.... watching all my money drift away. Sigh.

Cammie: How's it going for you now? I know you were having a not-so-fun time at the beginning of the week. Hope it's getting better for you now.

Cheri': I noticed you are from Iowa. I have ties to Nebraska and I heard they have been having some really rough weather there with winds, flooding, rain, etc. Are you getting that too?

Well, better end this novel I've been writing this morning. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

Diane I will be working in the garden as well too many weeds.

My youngest asked me to get down her memory box as she wants to look through it. I love all the gifts the wee ones make in school for mother's day and other special holidays. So I will get my box down too and we can both look through it and see what I've been given in the past. Thanks to all the teachers out there who come up with all these ideas

Hey Everyone!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY LADIES

Clydegirl... Awe that sounds really touching and so sentimental...I have been going through things in our home as we are listing it shortly with the hopes of downsizing...So that is always a special time...just going throught the little outfits, blankie pieces, teeth, that belonged to my Elisabeth...

Susan B... Well now I have to keep up this journalling...man I hate it...I've been really negligent and I don't do well with writing in a diary...How do you find the time to be that committed to it...I would rather pluck out my eye and feed it to vultures! So how do I get over that? I am up for any hints or ideas...

Slashnl That is a tremendous victory to exercise in the heat...I am really anxious about the heat waves that will be coming...I hate the heat and humidity...I am your "stereotypical" Canadian girl who loves the snow and cold and is happiest first thing in the morning when I can stand on my porch in my pjs and inhale deeply and my nose sticks together!... So "snaps" to you for exercising...When it gets killer hot like that do you find it easier to walk at say 11pm-12am...that is what I do here when it is so unbareably hot and the cats can't even find a good place to go...So if is 90 now what is it like in August where you live?

Morning!
Kim, so much of what I eat all the time is in custom foods at fitday that it really only takes a few minutes to record it. It's especially easy if you eat plain, whole foods.
It'll be worth it, I promise you.

Hello Everyone!

Susan B...Yeah I am sure you are right!...I eat as much unprocessed, natural and raws foods as possible and I have an actual journal... I haven't used Fitday so maybe I need to move into this century look into Fitday...I know my daughter is very much like you and records everything she does (exercise) and eats and she loves Fitday......so maybe this way I can get over my aversion to journalling and use Fitday because I can't tell you how much I hate to journal...

Hope everyone else is okay and all is well!

TTFN

Okay - I have a question. Does anyone know of any studies that show that perimenopause actually causes weight gain - or makes losing weight more difficult?

Hey Everyone...

47yo

Well, hopefully Susan B will be on as she has a medical background (nurse) and she may know of some stuff that would meet your needs...unfortunately you have the children's social worker answering you and the medical field is not my forte...I know that when I was younger I could not eat for a couple of weeks and drop 10lbs like that ...now it takes 6 weeks of healthy eating and tons of walking (that is just personal experiences talking)...

Well everyone today was weigh in day and I lost 1/2 a pound much better than my the plateau...

Hope everyone is well, okay and plugging along!

Morning girls.

Well done Kimush on the half pound. I weighed in yesterday and gained 2 lbs. Hard week with Mother's Day, birthday cake, out for lunch and TOM. In other words life. So of course last night I had the munchies Must do better.

Welcome 47yo.

Thanks! I'm relatively new to the posting gig! Yes, Kimush - 1/2 pound is better than plateau - good for you. And clydegirl, you have my sympathies. The reason I asked about the perimenopause thing is because I used to be able to lose weight easily (if I lowered my calorie intake, of course). I know that as you grow older, you lose muscle. I also know you can screw up your metabolism by repeatedly going into "starvation mode", which I also did. So now I'm lifting weights and running and sticking with roughly 1400 calories per day, but it's going soooooo slowly - whine! However, now that I think about it, it's not really relevant why it's taking so long (perimenopause, screwed up metabolism or both) unless there's something I can change. I intend to stick with it no matter what!

Well, I came along at just the right time! I agree with all of this ... it's not really relevant why it's taking so long (perimenopause, screwed up metabolism or both) unless there's something I can change. I intend to stick with it no matter what!

A Christian friend of mine did a round of speaking once ... her topic was "Bloom Where You're Planted". Well I'm planted in my 40's, with perimenopause, poor health genetics ... but I can do what I can do .... and I'll do it.

Thanks 47yo ... that was good thinking!

Well Hey Everybody! Hope You Had An Awesome Spring Day!

I am experimenting with salads again...so I have been eating Spinach leaves instead of romaine...and I have added fresh fruits (strawberries, blueberries), seeds (pumpkin and sunflower), balsamic dressing, dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, currants) and now I have started adding flax seeds...This salad is absolutely terrific and I could probably eat it at every meal and never get tired of it. But is there anything that I have to worry about with the spinach or the flax seeds. I have read that spinach needs to be cleaned well. I have also read that flax seeds must be refridgerated or they produce toxic by-products that can are associated with cancer. Does anyone know anything about any of this?

Clydegirl...I know what you mean...We have been shopping every 3-4 days and I have been keeping very little tempting munchie snacks/foods in the house...It is just so much easier and then I don't have to worry about wanting it...But it is easier for me I think as there is only Elisabeth (22 yo) and myself so we don't need to have the snack foods in the house that you have to have when you have children in the house...But...I have been craving chocolate in the worst way but I don't dare as I don't want hives and I don't want to take days of benedryl so that I can have a little amount...


I decided to end with the Easter Bunny because he is so darned cute

Hi all. What a nice spring day! Too bad I have to clean the house!!! Hope you are all doing something much more fun than that!

My son's birthday party was yesterday, he is 11 now. It was fun, we went to a "fun park" where they have lazer tag, bumper boats, go carts, mini golf, video games, pizza, cake, etc. They all seemed to have a good time. It cost me a little more than I wanted, but not having 8 boys at my house was a blessing. What do they say on TV? It was... priceless! ha! I also did this for him last year. He loves to go there. I noticed that this year they were a lot quieter (they didn't joke with me as much and talked more to each other) and I heard a couple comments about girls. I guess they are growing up. Darn! They all go to middle school next year, so I'm sure that there are a lot more changes in store.

It is supposed to be a little cooler this week, which is good. We went a little too hot, too fast. Also, we have the Junior College World Series coming up next weekend and the week after. I try to make a lot of the games, so I'm hoping it stays somewhat cool! 70's are good!

Kimush: I've heard the same thing about the spinach. But I know nothing about flax seed. I was at the store yesterday and notices some sweet cherries, so I bought some of those. We should be getting local cherries soon and I'm really looking forward to that! Love them!

47yo: Keep up the positive attitude. That's how I feel. If it takes a long time, then it takes a long time. I need to get this weight off and I can't let myself stop before I get it done. It isn't like it will be easier when I'm in the 50-something group!!! Glad to see your post!

Clydegirl: I feel your pain. It is tough to see the scale go up. I hate it when that happens. I usually think that something MUST be wrong with the scale, the floor, the room, my house, the community, the tilt of the world, etc.

Susan: I like that quote. I'll have to remember that one!

Have a good week everyone!

My first post here. Hello all!

Hello