pres - any chance you can bring a totebag full of mail, or start addressing Christmas cards (way too proactive!), or reading, even if it's for the job? As a "bleacher queen/swim mom", my son's pool is just barely too far for me to drive home while he swims, and having been a swimmer, I simply cannot watch practices, because I either get annoyed with his level of effort, or get annoyed at the coaches. It sucks to have to make every minute count just to keep up with life. :) Nature of the beast I guess! Get well soon!

presmaggie: take care of yourself! This seems like a good season to make sure our immune systems recover as thoroughly as possible so we don't get the next bug coming along.

Hydra: Congratulations! You're doing so great with this!

dmc2009: hope you sleep better tonight.

CruiseCAT: good job on the fall cleaning -- washing windows lends itself to some good stretching and squatting movements.

ICUWishing: I'm so glad that the pool time has suddenly worked out wonderfully for you!

Marie: so sorry about the puppy but great news about your son's school! And way to go on the lost pound!

I decided to scoot back home because we have a full day of rain on tap today. I figured if I had to drive in the rain, I'd rather get over with than spend the whole morning fretting about it and then driving through it. So, I'm safely home and DH is fixing vegetarian chili mac for our lunch. Glad to be here!

A lot of insomnia in our group right now! I didn't sleep three nights ago because I was excited about my trip and the last two nights have each been worse than the last. I'm hoping that the problem will right itself now that I'm home.

Hmmm. The weather radio just went off -- flash flood warning. No worry for us because we live on a hill but that can cause havoc for lots of people. They are saying some areas have had 2 to 4 inches of rain already and many hours left to go.

Hi, Ladies!

Thanks CruiseCAT and ICU (and anybody else I missed in my quick skim!) for noticing my absence. I've just been busy, compounded by just being sick of it all, the constant battle to lose / maintain weight. My youngest son got pretty sick last week and since he was by my side all week, I just stopped using the computer and checking in. But, like all good losers, I came back and checked in today.

I feel like I've lost sense of how much to eat, and that I've been eating too much. I haven't really gained much, just fluctuating in my 5lb zone, so I guess I've been eating more at a maintenance level. Today I'm tracking calories, trying to gain that sense of understanding and control back. It's 2:30pm and I've had 729 calories so far today; that feels about right.

The problem is, and I know a lot of people can relate to this, I feel like it's all or nothing -- either I'm hyper-focused on food & exercise & scale & tape measurer or I'm not paying attention. The last couple of weeks have been about not paying attention. Now I'm ready to refocus. But I guess that's just life. The biggest thing is that I know that I am in this for life. It's not a 2 month race or anything...

I've missed you all and I'm back!

WoW, It is so hard to keep up with everyone! Here goes, and if I forget someone, it's just pre-alzheimer's kicking in!

Welcome back newleaf. Hope DS is feeling better. I know what you mean about all or nothing. I am really having a hard time regaining my momentum.

Gardener, Glad you got home before all of this rain. It's cold and wet and nasty. We get lots of water running through our yard. Let's hope it all stays in the yard.

Marie, I am a big believer that things work out the way they are supposed to. Sasha was meant for you, just sorry you had to make that big trip to find out. Pretty shady of the other guy trying to put you into a bidding war. Another pound gone! Yahoo!

Presmaggie, Hope you are felling better! It is so hard to find the right balance of work and family, add school to the mix and no wonder you feel lousy. Please be sure you are getting some "me" time in there!

ICU, that's great news about swimming while DS is swimming! Again, things work out like they should! As for exercise in the AM, I am still getting up early a couple days a week. Can't say I like it, but at least I am doing it!

Cruise, glad you can Skype with Mack. Sounds like this week is going well for you. Loved your rescue story you rebel!

dmc, Hope that 139 sticks! If not hope it's 138 instead!

Hydra, Congrats on the first 1/3. Keep up the good work!

Joan, sorry to say insomnia is not a problem for me, in fact I'm very good at sleeping! I'll be in big trouble if that ever becomes an issue for me!

simply, Glad to have you with us! There is no one hear checking ID's so you can stay as long as you like!

WLW, I'm also glad to see your old avatar again! Helps me keep track when I can put a face to a name.

KDHW, Welcome to the best group at 3FC!

Patch, how's the exercise going?

Finally had my spider veins treated yesterday. Went to a dermatologist that a friend recommended. Right now I look like I am covered with mosquito bites. DR. says I should see results in about 2 weeks. The procedure felt like multiple bee stings with burning. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain so I didn't think it was that bad. Also had a suspicious patch of skin removed from my neck. DR. is pretty sure it is basal cell carcinoma. Biopsy results will be back in a few days. I showed the spot to my regular DR. several years ago and he said it was just a dry skin patch.

Woke up this am to find water all over the kitchen floor cause the freezer door was not closed all of the way. Didn't lose too much food, but now I need to think of what to do with the ground beef that was thawed! It's rainy and cold here so chili might be in order!

Okay, so I had a chance to catch up on the thread. I hope everyone who was sick is feeling better!

Welcome to all the new people!

Marie sorry the puppy didn't work out, but hopefully it all works out with the rescue dog. But didn't you mention concerns about red flags at the shelter?? Hopefully it all checks out okay.

PresMaggie congrats on the new job. Hopefully the co-worker has put the past behind her. Sorry that your boys are being clingy. I'm sure this job is a big change for them, too. They'll readjust soon.

I envy you all your chili, sounds yummy! We've been having cooler weather here, too. I've kicked the heat on a few times, when I've noticed that my hands are really cold...

CruiseCAT sorry that you are missing Mack, and then have the fires to deal with, to boot! Skype is great... another addict here. Although I use Trillian now, but it's basically the same thing.

OnMyWay I'm glad they are biopsy-ing the spot. I've had basal cell carcinoma, too, and my regular doctor didn't believe me when I told him I thought it was skin cancer.

I'm looking forward to being back in the groove. I'm working very hard to resist the urge to eat, eat, eat. And, trying to decide whether to make roast lamb or roast chicken for dinner...

Thank you to all for your responses and encouragement on my weight loss thus far. I just love celebrating these mini-goals. I am going to reward myself by making myself a pretty necklace this weekend with some nice beads I have.

dmc - hang in there honey, life can seem really so hectic and I am glad you are taking time for yourself, that is so important.

cruiseCAT - Wow! 20+ windows cleaned is a big accomplishment.

presmaggie - I hope you feel better soon. :hug:

marie - I hope your weekend goes as planned and you will be meeting that cute little puppy soon.

gardenjoy - I hope you get some good sleeping time in tonight and this weekend.

newleaf - I am looking at this weight loss journey as a complete lifestyle change and I totally understand about not focusing and then refocusing, I think that is normal.

onmyway - chili sounds good, especially with this cooler weather. yum.

Picture! My GF, the champion Masters swimmer, entrepreneur, writer, photographer, and all-around Renaissance woman - with me. I am SO glad I went to NC!

ICUWishing what a wonderful photo... I can tell what great friends you are... There's nothing like a visit with a wonderful friend, eh? AND........ look how slim you are!!! You rock!

YYYaaaaaa tomorrow is FRIDAY :carrot::carrot: anyone else happy that the weekend is about to begin??

Tomorrow morning I am going to walk my daughter to school instead of driving. She is very excited about our new adventure we will have together. I am hoping that it will be a great way to add in some much needed exercise.

What is everyone doing this weekend?

I have a bbq to go to on Saturday with my husband and a bunch of beer drinking fire fighters.....I have to admit that i am a little nervous about making bad choices.....I must stay on plan!!!

KDHW Welcome! Your name is unfamiliar so I figure you must have popped in while I had popped out...

I have a love/hate relationship with weekends. Of course I love them, but the fact that they are not completely under my control (ie, I have to think about what others want to do, eat, etc) makes it harder for me to stay on plan.

We actually don't have a lot of plans. My DS8 has a soccer game on Saturday. We *might* go apple picking with my MIL. On Sunday, the boys have cello lessons. That's it for now, and it's a 3-day weekend. I guess I should come up with something fun to do with the boys on Monday. Maybe we'll go for a bike ride.

hi all, I'm very happy that all the difficult stuff of this week is over and I can relax a little tomorrow. Yay, Friday!

KD, good idea on walking DD to school, even better that she is excited about it too! No exciting plans for tomorrow {or the weekend!] but we get to go vote for city Mayor. The previous one resigned. Apple picking sounds nice.

ICU, Great picutre thanks for posting!

hydra, congrats on the weightloss!

I need to go to bed now, I keep making a lot of mistakes typing, and I' m not sure I'm making a lot of sense anyway. LOL

Well, it's been a mixed week. I did a lot of walking and some healthy eating. But then I received some heavy work assignments (I kind of hate my work, this is my fundamental problem), and responded with little binges. I can see the problem so clearly, yet it's so hard to break these habits which have taken hold in the last few years.

Late last night, I binged on just about the worst thing....shortbread! I had bought it for my mother and I wound up devouring it myself. Nice, huh? I didn't even check the calories until after I'd eaten the whole (thank goodness, little) package--holy cow! I might as well have eaten a stick of butter.

Oh, well, another day, right?

Although, personally, I find weekends tough. Mainly because I have to cook all these meals for a houseful of males. Constantly handling food. My mother-in-law is coming for dinner Saturday. That's hard, because she's weight obsessed--her own and everyone else's. I like her, but I get the vibe that these days, she's kind of enjoying my weight gain, because it makes her feel better. I get comments like, "If you and I were petite, dear, we could wear those little dresses."

Joan Eeew, a comment like that from my MIL would definitely annoy me... I'm glad you get along otherwise! I hear you about weekends being tough; it's the same for me. I hope your work day is less stressful today...

Heidi - Good to see you back here. I can really relate to where you are; my post last week was very similar. I've done great so far this week but still a little frustrated that I'm 10 lbs. heavier than my lowest weight since I started my journey.

Thanks for mentioning Trillian. With the issues (including legal) with Skype I'm not sure how much longer it will be available.

Looks like everyone is enjoying chili with the cooler temps. I made a huge batch and put most of it in the freezer in two serving containers.

My weekend will be spent doing much of the same..... cleaning. I always get so much done when Mack is gone. Today I will tackle the bedroom; including purging clothes from drawers and closets.

TGIF!
Newleaf - I empathize completely with the desire to step back and maintain a while! It does seem obsessive to have to pay attention to every single choice, every day, and every meal. I'm slowly making peace with it as the price I need to pay to not go back to where I was. Lots of things require my attention on a daily basis, and I guess this is just going to be one more of them. We miss you when you're gone, though! :) And thanks for the compliment - I wish I looked as thin from the waist down as I do up top! Maybe that's somewhere in the next 5 pounds ... I'm kind of moving into the exploratory phase of wondering which pound will take off the last of the waist roll, the belly pooch ... surprisingly, I just don't have that much left to complain about - weird for me!

KDHW - how far is the walk going to be? I sure wish I could do that with my DS10. Unfortunately, I have 3.4 miles, with no sidewalks, on hilly, curvy roads. Not safe! DS is headed for an overnight Bday party tonight, we have piano tomorrow morning, having a pheasant dinner with the neighbors tomorrow night, and DS sings in church choir Sunday. What else happens is dependent on the weather - there is a LOT of yardwork that has to get done.

Joan - ah, the passive-aggressive MIL. :D They're so special. Weekends are definitely my challenge too - my spouse is a top-of-the-line chef and he gets creative on the weekends. Best I can do is reduce portion size, eat slower, and try to stay active. He doesn't pout if I don't eat a lot, but he absolutely will not compromise cooking technique.

hydra - your jewelry is gorgeous, and I hope you create something really memorable to celebrate your ongoing success here! If you ever want to experiment with natural faceted gemstones, let me know - I have a huge stash that I'm practicing with as part of my gemology class.

patch - holy cow - you are up LATE!! Go to bed, girl! :) Haven't you heard that getting enough sleep is a factor in weight management? ;)

marie - we want to see new fuzzy pictures!

Another half a pound down. The iPod is getting closer ...

our walk was wonderful this morning and my DD(age 6) was happy....which in return makes me VERY happy :D it is only 1-1/2 miles each way and there are sidewalks so it was good

newleaf123: glad to have you back on board!

Onmyway: chili sounds great for today! And a good plan for rescuing the results of an unfortunate incident.

ICUwishing: great photo! And yay for another half pound

KDHW: thanks for the dancing carrots to get our weekend off to a great start! My Saturday challenge is a pre-planning meeting for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month is November). We'll meet in a coffee house and will be encouraged to support the business of our host location. I checked the menu and the only thing I can have on plan at that time of day is....bottled water. So, bottled water it is!

patchworkpenguin: hope you have a great weekend!

Joan: I'm a librarian, so I'm always offering book suggestions -- ignore this if it doesn't feel right to you. The End of Overeating by David Kessler stopped my binge-ing cold. And the books by Judith Beck have really helped change my behaviors around food.

My efforts for my trip, taking all my own food and taking full advantage of exercise opportunities, paid off -- a new low today!

Gardener - Congrats on the new low! FYI - my mom is a retired library director/reference librarian/school librarian, you name it! I dimly remember when she was going to night classes for her MLS when I was in grade school. The key thing she always emphasized was "you don't have to know nuthin'. You just gotta know where to find it." :)

I Love Fridays and Weekends!
 

Joy, I’m glad you came home early. 2-4 inches of rain is too much for driving. I hope the flooding is minimal.

Heidi, I know either I am very focused or undisciplined when it comes to food. So I have made a life long choice to be obsessed with watching my calories because I hate the other end of the spectrum. I realized I can’t be “normal” and just eat. Although from what the news blares about obesity, overeating is normal. ;) Also, the red flags were more pink and after talking with them, I understood the lack of response initially. Vacations tend to do that and the director seems very detailed, controlling type of a person and I can see why she doesn’t delegate when away. I work with someone just like that. And Sasha is worth the initial frustration I'd had.

OMW, I too am a great believer in there’s a reason for why things happen and that they work out. Although I’ve never been tested with a major tragedy so I can be Miss Pollyanna. And I will be until I can’t be. I definitely think that Sasha was meant to be with me. The beginning of her life is a sad, terrifying story but she’s been with great foster parents and I know I’m a good doggie mom as I’d do anything for my pack. So Sasha will be loved forever more. I hope the biopsy comes back benign. I’m thankful you went to a dermatologist for it. GPs are good starting points but they should know when to refer.

Hydra, great job choosing your reward. Non-food rewards I think are a 40 something mentality. We finally get it. Enjoy the new necklace and the process of designing and making it. :carrot:

ICU, I ditto Heidi’s comment – you look so thin! And you’re so blessed to have a great friend. That’s what GF stands for, right??? Great Friend. :D

KDHW, - is your name Kim??? When I type KDHW I think of radio call letters. :o I’d rather think of you with a name. I love Friday!!! It’s the BEST day of the week. Someday, when I’m old and moldy, I’ll regret counting hours down to Friday and therefore weekend. Because wishing the work hours away is probably wrong, but for now, I still count. Fill up on veges at the BBQ and have a water in your hands at all time and sip constantly. Water helps ease the hunger and temptation. And great solution for getting exercise with DD. That’s excellent!

Joan, the shortbread tasted better than a stick of butter. :dizzy: You will break those habits. As long as you keep trying and don’t subscribe to the “well I screwed up and I’ll restart on Monday” mentality, one shortbread won’t hurt you. MIL sounds like a dream. :p Goof her up and reach your goal. Not only with the goal be heady, so will the end of her petty comments.

Cruise, when you’re done scouring your house, my place is only a few hundred miles up the freeway. :D It really needs cleaning. I too usually clean while David is away, but I’m so busy getting ready for the new husky that cleaning isn’t happening.

My weekend, at least this evening and all tomorrow, will be in my Jeep, traveling north to Sasha. Kai Pixie Bear is all packed for Sasha lifelong playdate. We have a hotel room in Salem and the pet deposit is nearly as much as the room. But the room is cheap so it’s good. I’ve packed up my 100 cal snacks, will pack my apples and diet soda after work and we’ll be off. I’m so thankful DS will care for Kody and Blizzie in the morning. And my animal behaviorist and I chatted last night on making Sasha’s introductions to Kody and Blizzie. If it’s not too late, she’s going to come over a little before I get home so she can help with the transition. I really am blessed. She is wonderful.
Marie

Gardenerjoy, thanks for the recommendation. I know a cousin of David Kessler, so I'll take it as a sign. (The cousin, by the way, is a major foodie, ironically, very into fine dining etc).

I just ordered it online from the library.

Hubby came and got me on his lunch and we went to vote for city mayor. I brought a book but we were the only ones there to vote so it was over quickly. If I hadn't brought the book we probably would have had to weit.

I feel like I'm playing catch-up today al little cleaning, laundry and other fun stull like that. Hopefully weights later in the day.

Marie, enjoy the trip and the new addition!

OMW, ditto on the biopsy.

Joy, thanks for the rec for Kesslers book

ICU, I know, I know, LOL! but sleep and I have never gotten along well. I get tired in the middle of the day not at night. Hubby gets home so late that I feel if I want to spend some time with him I have to stay up late. I like to sleep until 9am on Fridays. Helps me catch up. Every Fri some NUT comes and knocks on my door at 830am. April has a fit, wakes me up, can't a woman sleep late? I don't answer the door because I'm in my nightclothes, groggy, and I'm mad!!!! Probably some little old lady collecting for orphans, and I'd yell at her, but this has been going on for weeks.

Joan, big sigh on the MIL. Mine likes to make these little comments too. Hubby swears she's trying to compliment me <rolls eyes> but it doesn't sound like it to me.

KD, Glad the walk turned out so well!

TOM jumped me 2 days early. What I can't quite figure out is why I lost half a pound going into it -- this is outside my norm for the year. And yeah, for those that have figured out that I'm a data-hound, I did review the journals all the way back to the beginning of the year. I guess it remains to be seen if I'll see up to a pound drop off by Tuesday, like I would expect.:shrug:

RANT!!!!! Skip to below if you are already having a bad day. Okay for those who are still here! Week before last I ordered four items from the Champion bra sale. I decided on one bra in a different size and decided to try another style. So we returned the first order, and ordered two more. The order arrives last week and its wrong!! One bra is wrong size, color and style, the other we eveentally figure out is correct but the tag says something differnt that what it actually is! WEIRD. Hubby calls the company because he's better at dealing with people than I am, he gets a nice person who tells him they will send the corrected order out TOMORROW as well as a pre paid mailing envelope to send the wrong items back in. So FINALLY today they arrive. Both bras are WRONG AGAIN!! So I call up and start telling the woman who answered what is wrong, she interupts me to ask something about the label???? HUH, So then she asks me for my zip code " so I don't have to go through the story..." Hey, lady, I want to tell you the whole story because I'm MAD that the REPLANCEMENT order is WRONG, too. So I read it off to her and she asks if I want the order fixed. Well, DUH. And I want the prepaid label for BOTH incorrect orders. Do I get an apology for the incorrect order? My trouble? my disappointment? Even if she doesn't MEAN it, she represents her company!!! So now I'm mad at Champion, this woman, the whole situation, AND I'm bra-less, still! It will be another week before I get that order, at this rate the sale will be OVER and I won't get to order the bras I want because we'll still be playing around ordering test samples.

Patch, how frustrating! Hope you get the right bra and that the company does something to make things right for you!

ICU, maybe you lost a 1/2 pound because you have been staying on plan!

Marie, have a safe trip getting you dog!

gardener, Congrats on you new low! Are you as tired of rain as I am?

KDHW, glad they walk worked out. What a great way to spend time with your DD and get exercise!

Joan, Seems like many of us have a similar MIL story! I'm hoping I remember when I have a DIL of my own!

Cruise, You are certainly keeping yourself busy while Mack is gone. There is something about clearing out excess stuff. It makes me feel great!

Newleaf, I'm guessing you have a 3 day because of Columbus Day. Sadly, we no longer get that day off here.

This week has been chaotic to say the least. Hardwood floors in my kitchen are buckling from the water leaking from our freezer! Now we will have to get estimates to repair or possibly replace. It seems as if it is always something!
We've had lots of rain and it's been chilly and I'm crabby as a result. I will not be an emotional eater! I will not be an emotional eater! I will not be an emotional eater! (Thanks for letting me vent!)

Have a great weekend!

ha ha! To those who enjoy mother-in-law stories.....mine likes to buy me little clothing items here and there, which is nice.....except she ALWAYS makes a point of getting them in LARGE, then making me try it on in front of her, THEN tugging it down over my waistline!

kdhw - great idea to walk with your daughter. Family exercise is a good habit to get into.

icu - nice, gemstones are great to work with. Congrats on the loss!

marie - sounds like you have a busy and fun weekend planned. I hope everything goes smoothly for you and the animals.

penguin - sorry about all the bra trouble and the bad customer service. Hopefully, they will get it right this time.

onmyway - hang in there gal. Big hug. :hug:

I will be spending time on hobbies this weekend. I need to see what I have in my jewelry supplies to make some holiday gifts ahead of time. I know that at the end of the season I bought some beaded ornaments kits and I need to haul those out. I also plan to get some walking in this weekend. Have a good Saturday! :cb:

Re Rant! I called back later, got a different person who was very nice, and feel a little better about the whole thing now. But if I call up with a problem I expect the person to be helpful and polite. Thanks for listening!

Omw, Eeeek on the floors! That's not good! I like your mantra!

Hope to get in the workout I didn't get yesterday. Hubby is off helping a friends fix their car. Even better he's supposed to get paid!

ICUwishing: yep. The profession's light bulb joke is
Q: How many librarians does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: I don't know, but I'll look it up.

Marie: thinking of you on your trip -- I hope all of the doggie introductions go well.

patchworkpenguin: really frustrating customer experience. I think companies have no idea sometimes that the stories are important and they should be listening to them! Not only does it make the customer feel better to be heard, but obviously something is going wrong there that needs to be fixed.

Onmyway: Good job on talking yourself out of being an emotional eater with house frustrations and lousy weather. Hope today is going better. We have sunshine!

Hydra: hope you have a great weekend with your hobbies

I have a NaNoWriMo pre-planning event (November is National Novel Writing Month) this afternoon. I want to start off on the right foot and not get suckered into the general culture of NaNoWriMo which is to write 50,000 words in November fueled by caffeine and sugar. So, I'll buy my bottled water to support the coffee house that's hosting us and I'll pack my normal afternoon snack to eat if I get hungry.

Slowwwww process
 

I am down a lb. I could be down two, but today I weighed later and so it said 140, I will take it.

Class is killing me, work is crazy. Life is insane, but I am continuing to walk and watch my points!

One pound is better than no pound!:carrot:

Will I make it at this rate to my goal by december???? xmas???

Hi, everyone.

PatchworkPenguin I'm glad you're feeling a little better about the bra situation. I hope it all gets cleared up.

DMC2009 congrats on the pound!

OnMyWay yep, Columbus Day. We always got it off in Massachusetts, but I don't remember getting it off in years past in Pittsburgh. Its funny how states / districts pick and choose. The other funny thing is that my boys and I realized that we don't know *why* Monday is Columbus Day -- is it his birthday? Is it the day he was thought to reach land? The day his journey began? (doubt the last one; I don't think you'd set out in Oct) But we were glad that they didn't have to know the answer in order to get the day off... We will look it up, though. Gotta love the internet!

dmc2009: slow and steady gets the job done! A lot of the books I've read said that it's better not to put a deadline on weight loss goals. If you're down 10 pounds by Christmas, that's 10 pounds! You want to celebrate that even if the journey isn't done yet. In spite of that, I'm doing the Halloween Challenge in this section, but I'm taking that goal very lightly, more like a game than a goal. I'm also doing the monthly exercise challenges in the Chicks up for a Challenge section and that one I do take quite seriously because I have much more control over the success of it.

newleaf123: don't leave us hanging on that Columbus Day mystery!

Today should be quiet and everything according to plan. I just love days like that!

Well TOM showed up early for me too and I sure hope I get my little whoosh that comes with TOM. Unlike most I drop 1-2 lbs. on day one but I have stuck to my plan of weighing only on Mondays.

I went out to lunch with a friend yesterday and before I left I checked the online menu and found what I thought would be a healthy meal, they even listed it as "healthy". I guess it would have been had they not added at least a 1/4 cup of oil. I had three bites and ended up leaving the rest. It's getting to the point that I hate eating out. I always feel like a ***** making changes, sending stuff back or like yesterday not eating it.

Heidi - According to Wiki: Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday.

DMC - I agree with Joy about not setting hard goal date. I've had several and when I don't meet them they have a tendency to take away from the accomplishment I have made.

OMW - You know we are here for you if that urge to indulge hits.

Patch - Glad you were able to work things out.

Not sure what I'm going to do today. I still have lots of cleaning to do but I'm burned out. This is my off day for working out but I am going to take a couple of the pups for a walk.

Have a good Sunday!!!

Penguin, on Thursday nights, put a sign on the front door (actually I’d leave it up permanently) saying not to knock or disturb until after 9:30 in the morning. Bummer about the bra fiasco. I’m glad it seems resolved now. It’s the major drawback of clothes shopping online.

I feel really bad for those of you that have petty comments thrown your way by a MIL. I’m lucky and have no idea how I’d respond. Maybe those with this problem can pool a group of responses that aren’t insulting but let MIL know it’s not right or appreciated.

ICU, you’re not alone. I log my TOM – date, length, days between – and have for years. Mostly I want to know when the whoosh the 3rd week of my cycle gives me and to see if there’s a trend to it disappearing for good. So far, no change… :( I want it gone permanently!

OMW, never forget homeowner’s insurance for replacing the hardwood floors. It’s not like you destroyed them. Your freezer failed and destroyed them. Sorry about the rain and very happy to hear you won’t eat because of all the water problems.

Joan, Wow, that is nasty. Next time say, “Thanks for the gift. It makes me uncomfortable to try clothes on in front of people. I’ll let you know how it fits.” Cut her fun off at the pass.

Joy, 50,000 words in one month is a little excessive. That’s about 2/3 or one of my manuscripts. I can’t write on demand but I will try to write more in November and think of you. :D And good choice on avoiding the sugar and caffeine. Bottled water is much better. But if I was at a coffee house, I’m a mocha freak – decaf, fat-free, sugar free mochas. Most ask why bother – because of the taste! :dizzy:

DMC, congrats on the pound!!! :carrot: You’re really doing great in spite of the hectic schedule. Maybe you’ll make your goal but don’t fret if you don’t. It’s not a race. You’ll make your goal even if it’s later than December.

Newleaf, enjoy your 3 day weekend. Our district doesn’t do Columbus Day either. That was strange to get used to when I moved here. I liked more days off. ;)

Cindy, I’m sorry about your restaurant experience. I also HATE eating out. I will never understand how many restaurants make a poor chicken breast have 500 calories. 140 yes – so where do the 360 extra cals come from. Last night DH asked why I didn’t get meals on the road – well duh, I don’t want to gain weight because of restaurant. So I brought protein shakes and pretzels.

Everything went so incredibly smooth. Kai and Sasha fell in love. :hug: When they met and were released into the foster mom’s sister’s yard, they had a ball. They’re acting like they’re tethered together. They don’t like leaving each other’s side. When we started home, after 15 minutes they were snuggled together on one of the doggie beds. It was awesome. I set up a flickr account with pictures. I will take more with a better camera but this will get you started.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/4dogs4marie/

I lost another pound. :carrot: 146 – I am like amazed every time the scale is nice. I truly never thought I’d weight this in my life. 11 pounds to my goal even though I’m thinking 125 might be a better goal. For now, 135 is my goal and I can “taste” it. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be wearing my new size 10 jeans. They fit great (tried them on this morning but grabbed my 12s because ultimate comfort is the goal today. My back is sore (pinched a never near my shoulder blade yesterday at some point) and I want to be a bum and enjoy my pack.

Marie

Good evening! Another fast weekend! They always go by so quickly! I'm in a much better mood and not quite as stressed as I was last week. I realize in the grand scheme of things, water damage to my floors is not that big of a deal, I just am not in the mood to have another improvement project so quickly after having the bathroom done. I've talked with my insurance guy and need to get an estimate to see if a claim is necessary.

On a positive note, I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in quite a while. She was very complimentary about how I looked. Really made my day!

Hope everyone has a good week! Thanks for posting everyone! You inspire and motivate me!

I had a conversation with Hubby about my weightloss or lack thereof. I want to lose weight but I don't seem to be doing anything about it. I exercise sporatically, and watch what I eat to some extent but I know I could be doing a much better job. I lost almost 10 lbs when I first started in July but gained it and a few other lbs back. I keep losing and gaining the same few lbs with no real progress. I realize something is wrong here but I can't figure what the 'real' problem is; possibly I feel unmotivated to lose because I think I will just gain it back. Maybe I just don't care enough to try too hard. I certainly have the time to exercise I just don't have the motivation and I have learned the the exercise is good but if I don't watch what I eat I'm only breaking even.

Any suggestions welcome.

Have not felt that great this weekend. I have been badly nauseous and bloated feeling for a couple days now. If I don't feel much better in the morning I will call the doctor. I think I might be having a medication reaction because I don't have a fever or chills or a cold.

I hope everyone has a good start of the week! :carrot:

OMW - I don't think I would be ready for another project either. I'm not even ready for the one we have planned. I was going to have a couple more estimates done for the bath and haven't. At this point I think we will hold off until spring. We have decided to to the bedroom at the same time and will move EVERYTHING in to the sunroom. Not the place I want to sleep during the winter.

Hydra - I sure hope you feel better. A call to the doc is a good idea, especially if you think it is a reaction to meds.

Marie - I'm going to look a the pup pictures now, I'll be back to comment.

Can't say that I'm very happy with the scales, only a .8 lb. loss for a week of sticking to 1400 calories and working out six days. And no whoosh from TOM either.

Keep trying..... I too have lost the same 10 lbs. for many months now and the one thing I can say for sure is I don't want to go back to the way it was. I feel so much better and love being active. I know if I don't watch it those 10 lbs. will become 20, 30, or even more.