40 Something Chat, week of 7/5
 

Hey Chicks! I just figured out that I can get on the website from work : ) Gym is closed today so my young friend and I spent 30 minutes walking the building from end-to-end, including up and down the stairs (32 stairs each lap). I hope everyone had an awesome 4th of July weekend!

Welcome back Ivy and I'm On a Boat, good to see you both : )

Hi Kathi, thanks kind of glad to be back and on track again. Vacation & 4th of July weekend were great, hope you enjoyed the weekend too!

Hi everyone! My computer is down at home, think it may have a virus....GRRRR!:mad: Will have to take it to the shop this week and hope for the best.

I am not even going to try to get caught up with personals, but I have read everyone's posts. You all are such an inspiration to me all of the time.

I had a good weekend with my boys, even though it rained much of the time. From Friday evening until yesterday morning, we got almost 2 inches of rain at my house. Made for a very soggy 4th, but it was much cooler than normal so that was nice. Very humid. I took my younger son shopping on Saturday and bought his b-day present early because we found a really good sale. I don't like to do that (early gifts) but I guess it will be okay. He is really happy with the video camera he got. Older son spent alot of time away with his friends, but I guess that is what happens as we get older. It's so hard letting go, it kind of crept up on me.

Foodwise, it was a terrible weekend for me. Bread was my big downfall....breadsticks, buns, biscuits....even a donut!:o I did squeeze in some veg and a wonderful watermelon, but the rest was not pretty. Again I was reminded how the "bad" foods just aren't satisfying, but did that stop me?? NO!! Well, I'm not going to let it derail me. I am back on the wagon today and look forward to the huge salad I packed for lunch.

Did not do any exercise...a little informal walking and some swimming yesterday...but not my usual WATP work. Resumed that this morning after some inventive sleep arrangements for my younger son and his buddy who was spending the night. Had to roust them out of the living room at 0530 this morning so I could exercise. It felt good to sweat and move my body.

I'm already screwed up on my schedule.....keep thinking it is Monday....I'm sure I'll get back in the groove soon. Hope you all have a wonderful day!!

Hi chickettes.

I seem to be falling into old habits at the moment. Not all bad habbits because it includes a bit of an exercise obsession, but unfortunately it also includes eating too many snacky bad things when i really don't need to. Ah well, i guess that's why we're all here to some degree. If this body-maintenance thing was so easy we wouldn't be here looking to motivate ourselves and support each other.

The weekend was good and we caught up with 3 lots of friends all separately which is quite sociable by recent standards! Football viewing is bieng replaced by Tour de France viewing - all of which happen in the middle of the night for us Aussies so catching enough sleep or otherwise trying not to hear any results on the news before watching the recorded version is a constant challenge.

A ridiculous amount of stuff is coming in at work at the moment. I hardly dare check my emails any more because every time i do someone is wanting another week of work here or there. Don't think i'll see much of home in the next few months. I like travelling but it would be nice if it was more evenly spaced!

Good morning.

I had a great weekend, and a terrible one. Great in that I visited with my folks and family and friends, but terrible in that I ate too much of the wrong stuff. I've put back on a couple pounds:(. Need to shape up for the rest of the week and see if I can lose those hitchhikers before they move in with my permanently.

Ironically, I was good about dinners over the weekend, because I did the cooking--lots of veggies. It was the plethora of snacks left around that did me in. I know my dad needs to have the snacks available (he lost a lot of weight while ill and the snacks are for him), but they're not under lock and key so I get into them and then regret it later.

Anyway, enough excuses. Today I eat according to plan. There will be cravings--I will be strong. Off to exercise this morning, to get the day started right. I will have to try harder to avoid the munchies next weekend, because the snacks aren't going away and I'm going to be spending most, if not all, weekends with the folks this summer.

I hope everyone else is having a good week. I'm off to burn me some calories.

Happy Hump Day everybody!

Kitteh: way to go with brushing yourself off and getting back on track! you just need to have a plan when you go back to visit : )

Ange: it has to be tough staying on track with such a crazy schedule. hang in there!

Hello ladies! Rain, rain go away! I think the sun is out currently, but we have gotten so much rain lately from the remnants of Hurricane Alex. It is too soggy for July!! More expected tomorrow. The mosquitoes are the size of crows around here lately....at least they are enjoying it!:mad:

I'm doing well, getting back to eating like I should. Went to Applebee's last night with the boys. I had the 550 cal. shrimp meal. I wonder how it could be that low, esp. with how sweet the shrimp tasted. I know it had to be loaded with sodium, but it was good. Lots of shrimp and the steamed brocolli was just that.....only steamed, no salt or butter, etc. I have actually always preferred it that way. If only I had kept my hands off the appetizer nachos....:( I really need to break my sons of that habit. They don't need the extra calories either and it prevents them from eating their entire meal.

Going to cross my fingers for weigh-in tomorrow (or Friday...I'm going to give it an extra day if I'm up) that I didn't gain any since last week. If I did, I will continue onward and get it off!

Ange-I suppose an exercise obsession is better than other things. I can see how it would be easy to fool yourself into thinking those snacks won't make a difference since your activity is up. That would be a dangerous one for me, too. Keep going!!

Kitteh-The snacks can be trouble. I did do well last night with avoiding the cookies sitting in the kitchen. I ate watermelon instead! So did my son.:) Hope the exercise was good!

WLW-Hope the weather is a bit cooler in your part of the country. I'm sure our usual heat will be back with a vengeance soon.

Have a great day everyone!

Hi everybody!

Annie - I had the same exact thing at Applebees last night. Very good! Then of course I drank 3, count them 3 hurricanes. oops!

Ange - I have the same problem with the ridiculous amount of stuff going on at the office, hope things calm down for you some.

KittehMomma - Can you burn some calories for me to? This week is unreal so far, I have gone to the gym twice only to get urgent calls from the office or customers so have had to leave the gym & handle problems, will try again tomorrow.

Kathi - Happy Hump Day to you to! Is it almost over?

Besides work, beside everything going wrong today is just not a good day. On plan (check) drinking water (check) just someone should stop me from watching the news, caring about what is going on around me & any outside influences that make me think.

I live in Florida of course, I was born on the Gulf Coast & have lived right on the coast for a good 90% of my life. Let me tell you guys the situation down here sucks. What is on the news is only a small fraction of the devastation. So kind of depressing especially when you get inside information that really isn't reported on the news. To make this worse, when they found out how sick I was the last 6 months which resulted in me totally giving up meat (not that big of deal since I really don't like meat) which left me with a pescatarian diet where I have really enjoyed having my fish & shellfish as protein sources. Problem is the fish/shellfish I eat has always come from the Gulf. The rest of the toxin reports are in, they say it is safe to eat but it isn't. So the last month or so, I have switched to only eating shellfish & fish that I knew did not come from the Gulf & it isn't the same. So this morning I went over everything that I am doing & decided to just change & go to a strictly vegetarian diet. Good move on my part, and I know that I can get plenty of protein with a good diet (won't eat fake meats or tofu) so I know I won't be suffering from it. Just really upsets me, because this is my home & my way of life that is just being ruined.

So then being the over thinker brainey type person that I am (this isn't always a good thing) I felt good about the choice I made but then got to thinking about the fact that I really want to quit smoking. I have just been putting it off. So the brainy part of me starts & argument in my head & reminds me that I am being an idiot. I give up meat for my health, then I give up fish & shellfish :( but then I smoke a cigarette. Then the argument in my head convinces of just how dumb that is. So work is insane, kind of depressed about the Gulf, I am completely re-doing my way of eating again, work is still insane, I broke two of my fingernails this morning (ouch) & I choose to quit smoking today. Someone just please shoot me!!!!!

Sorry it is so long, don't mean to totally just vent on you guys, but seriously I will loan someone a gun if they can put me out of my misery.

With all that being said - Everyone have a great day!!!!! :D

Dee-First of all.....a hug.....:hug: Second of all...please don't apologize for venting. Stresses like you are dealing with can derail some people's commitment to being healthy. But with the support of all of the friends here, it might just be a bit easier to handle. Vent away!!

The situation in the Gulf is just heartbreaking. Earlier in the year (when I thought I still had a chance of a real vacation), I had momentarily pondered vacationing there in the Pensacola area. It just makes me sick to think of (not to mention the environmental implications, I know that is the biggest concern) the folks missing out on vacations and the residents not getting the money that must pour into that area from visitors. See how it is impacting your life; the shockwaves just keep getting bigger.

Quitting smoking is one of my goals, too. I decided to wait until I get to my weight goal so as not to put too much on myself and possibly fail. I'm not very strong.:( I can see that your resolve is tough and I know you will succeed. You are doing such a great job adapting to all of the stressors popping up in your journey.

I hope your day gets better!

P.S. You deserved the Hurricanes....just this once, though.;)

Yes the gulf disaster is truely sickening. I really haven't confronted it at all and have avoided thinking about it, which isn't good, but on the other hand what good would dwelling on all the details be too. Horrible horrible.

Dee - you seem to be taking on a lot of challenges.... lots of work, losing weight, going veggie, quitting smoking. Is it feasible to do it all at once? Remember to line up a few treats for yourself along the way too and help yourself out eg a bit of pampering or book a weekend break or something. No wonder you're needing to vent!

Good morning.

Yesterday was rough--the sugar demons were out in force trying to get me to indulge. :mad: I resisted, but it was hard! I hope today is better. Work stress is still high, which isn't helping at all.

I got in good exercise yesterday--lots of squats and lunges and aerobic stuff. Tired legs today. More exercise this a.m.

Dee--please vent when you need to. I certainly have. I am so sorry work is rough, and the Gulf issue on top of it. No wonder you are stressed. It sounds like you are doing the right thing with your diet. I'm not surprised that things are worse in the Gulf than we are hearing up here in the NW (we're still recovering years later from oil spills up our way). The other night a Gulf politician was saying that tarballs appearing on the beaches were just a fluke. It sounded false to me, like a lie told to keep the tourists from going elsewhere. Be strong, and don't let the cigs be a crutch.

Off to exercise.

forgot before, but this is classic quote of the week (month, year.....)

nice one kitteh

Checking in because I've been MIA for a few days. I'm still here and struggling with the smoking and the binge eating, but I'm not too panicked over it. I'm 5 pounds above what I should be, but I think the binge cycle has subsided. I'm looking forward to my veggie packed lunch and dinner.

On the personal level, dating has been creating chaos in my schedule and emotions. The guy I have been seeing is in it for fun and doesn't want a relationship. At first, I was offended by that, but last night he said, "If I didn't consider you a friend, I wouldn't be spending so much time with you." So I've decided to enjoy this "thing" for what it is. This is quite a contrast to what Petra is experiencing with her beau.

I have a 1st date with someone else tonight. We'll see how that goes. I must remember that my goal in dating is not to find a soul mate, but to meet attractive, interesting people. And I have been doing okay with that so far.

And there you have it, the messy life of a single 40-year old woman.

OMGosh......unexpected stress came my way! I may be buying a house!!:dizzy: I rent the house I am in....more later when I have more time. An old couple in their 90s lived across the street...nicest people. They both died recently, within a month or so of each other. Family put their house up for sale YESTERDAY and I am making an offer! If I can get financing, it will be amazing, but it is looking good so far. Been on the phone as much as work will allow today calling about all of that. SO STRESSED, but excited, too.

Good news is that I dodged a bullet with my over-the-holiday eating. I am only up 0.5 pounds and that is a blessing. I will weigh again tomorrow for good measure.

I will write more later when I am a bit less stressed. Love to all!

Exciting stuff Annie!! I reckon owning a house is much more settling and satisfying than renting one so hope it all works out for you.
Maybe you dodged your holiday eating bullet because of the extra stress-metabolism you're experiencing!

Hope you enjoy decorating!! (If not i'll pop round and give you a hand - love it myself)

Caroline - good to see you're not so involved with 'fun' guy that you can't pull back and adjust to what he wants for a bit, and still enjoy seeing him. Sounds like he's just a bit scared to me and i reckon if you give it time it will still develop (unless you meet someone better in the meantime! lol). I don't really believe the 'just for fun' scenario. It's good in theory but really if you continue to see someone like that, it just can't stay the same whether you want it to or not, and will end up going one way or the other i reckon. You've got a great attitude anyway, so everything will be good!

Feeling pretty demoralized today. Gained 2 pounds overnight due to TOM, putting me right back over the 140 mark. Then, I struggled with hunger pangs most of the day, and had to really force myself to exercise this evening. As soon as I was done, I couldnt resist eating a granola bar (even though I had eaten dinner less than 2 hours before) and I'm now fighting against eating even more. I feel like I've been "about" 140 pounds for forever, and the idea of ever getting down to goal - let alone staying there - seems nearly impossible.

Working on positive thinking. Tomorrow will be better ...

Welcome neurodoc! Hang in there, it's a slow and ongoing process. A granola bar isn't the end of the world : )

Dee: vent away, that's what the forum is here for!

Annie: crossing my fingers for you, what a great opportunity : )

Ange: head this way, I need major help with decorating!

MC: good attitude! enjoy the friendship but don't let it keep you from finding Mr Right. I'm right there in the boat with you : )

Keeping up with my workout plans for the month, trying to keep on plan with the food as well. Weight not budging, as usual : ( I am encouraged however, because my young friend who has me working out with her at lunch time was in my training class almost 3 years ago and has gained 40lbs. Another girl from training has gained 60. So I didn't get sucked into the weight gain caused by working a sedentary job, just makes it hard to lose the extra I had. Hope everyone has a great friday!

Kathi

Dead tired & still have to finish cleaning the kitchen. So just dropping by to say hi & will catch up with everyone later. Happy to report I still haven't had any cigarettes & so far haven't killed anyone, thought about it, really considered it & even planned out what I was going to do to him. I resisted, but I do believe he knows to leave me alone for a while. :D

Have a great Friday everyone!

Good morning. This was a really long four day week! Just a little over a week until I go on my cruise.

Good exercise yesterday, and ate well--until dinner and then I fell off the wagon. It was a really hard day yesterday. I hope today is easier, and I plan to skip my treat to day (on the grounds that yesterday will count as my treat for the week). Another weekend, and another opportunity to overeat. I need to really be careful tomorrow at my folks' place--I don't want to make it a habit to overeat on weekends this summer.

Ange--I'd forgotten that quote. I should post it on my mirror to remind myself that every day brings a new challenge.

Annie--congrats on the house buying. I hope it all goes smoothly. If you can, get a copy of your paperwork to take home so you can read it all in peace before you sign. I had to read it in an office, with an impatient person checking on me every few minutes to see what the hold up was. :mad: They aren't used to people reading every piece of paper in a two inch stack. (I suspect some people don't read everything even if there are only a few pages. :()

neurodoc--welcome. Maybe this forum will give you the impetus you need to get the scale moving again.

Kathi -- I, too, have a sedentary job, and I feel like my second job is just to keep in shape and manage my weight.

Dee -- congrats on not killing anyone. Keep it up!

That's it for today. Off to exercise, then back to the grindstone. Hopefully it won't grind me up quite so thoroughly today.

Again I am in a rush and don't have time for personals today. I will say this....Neurodoc, I don't even get near the scale when TOM is here! Don't do it anymore! Wait until it's over and then weigh. You don't need the drama!!:D

Okay, tell me how this happened: I weighed yesterday and was 159.5. I weighed this morning and was 156.5!!!! I even weighed 4 times total just to convince myself those numbers were real! I'm going with it for now, but not going to get upset if it doesn't stick. I'm very thankful!!

Love to all......still working on a deal on the house. I did get pre-approved at two mortgage providers. That's a plus!

Congrats Annie on the drop in weight. And I hope your home buying process goes smoothly. I look forward to hearing your tales. I tried to buy a house in the Fall and it was a complete flop, but that's okay, I learned a lot.

Dee- Congrats on not smoking. I absolutely have to quit again, but haven't been successful. But I'm going to try again soon.

Kitteh - I feel your pain with the eating. I'm struggling myself.

Kathi- Thanks for the support on my dating travails.

Last night, I had a first date with this guy who was great in lots of ways, but I wasn't into him. On my way home, the guy I have been seeing texted and we ended up meeting at a bar (We live close to each other so impromptu meetings are easy). He had a bad first date that night as well. I don't know why he told me, but he blurted it out. We had a nice night together and I met some of his friends, who were really nice to me. I know this guy is not the "one," but I have to admit it, I am crazy about him.

I'm going to relax and enjoy this man's company for as long as it lasts.

Thanks everyone for allowing me to vent.

Today is nice & quiet today at work, like it is suppose to be, much better. I think everyone is safe today, haven't had to urge to hunt anyone down & hurt them. I am hoping that it isn't just because I am at the office by myself, I really hope the feeling lasts because we are going out tonight with friends.

Annie - I am excited for you about the house! Hope it all goes smoothly. And 156.5 is awesome!

Ange - Glad you posted that quote, good one.

Caroline - Sounds like you had a good time last night, glad you got to meet some of his friends & it worked out well. Just for the record - I always hated dating, I always just wanted to say "can the right person just step forward so I don't have to deal with the duds". :D I always enjoyed hanging out with guys, guy friends & groups of friends, but when you throw the dating word in there it just always seemed to mess things up.

Neurodoc - Welcome, hope today is going better for you.

Kathi - I know you have to be pleased that you didn't get sucked into the weight gain like the others.

KittehMomma - Hope you don't get ground up so thoroughly today either. :D

Do you guys have a harder time sticking to plan when you are at work during the week or when you are off on the weekend? I get the impression that is harder for most people on the weekends. I am the opposite, I get bored at work, too busy at work, end up dealing with stupid stuff at work & it is just hard sometimes to plan accordingly. The weekends are mine, family time, fun time, time on the boat, water skiing, etc. I could probably go all weekend without even caring about food because I am enjoying my time, very active & sometimes have even forgot to eat period.

Have a great day everyone.

Didn't get the house. They sold to someone else.:(

Thanks for the advice Annie. I know I shouldn't weigh every day, but sometimes I just forget not to, until it's too late. As for an overnight 3 pound drop - that's awesome. Sorry about the house, but now that you're pre-approved, the bid on the next one should go smoothly (and the next one is apt to be even better than this one was).

Today was definitely better. Waay less drama, just another normal day for me. And yes, the 2 pounds I'd gained yesterday were gone again this morning. D*mn water retention strikes again.

Thanks for the welcomes. I've been posting on the 40something board for a few weeks, but not in this thread until yesterday. It feels really good to be here.

Annie - sorry about the house. That's kind of a bummer.

Neurodoc - Glad your 2 pounds are gone.

Husband is being a butt about me watching tv in the other room because he is tired, I don't get it, I go in the other room so he can sleep without the tv being on, then he gripes because I am not in the same room, but he gripes if I watch tv when he is tired, so I turned off all the lights in the house & the tv. I am sitting in a very dark quiet house using my laptop & guess what I can still hear him griping from the other room. :D Men!!!! Trying desperately not to let him hear me laughing at him.

Back-to-back spin classes for me this morning and i've got achy legs now, so a bit of stretching in store soon. My garmin says i burned 605 calories, so that should allow me to have a couple of wines in the pub before heading to the football ground to watch tonights match!

Shame about the house Annie, but maybe you'll get some great new neighbours and it'll work out for the best.

Neurodoc - you've been hanging around the 40s board but not this thread?? It's a good job you've found us then - this is where it all happens...(!?!)

Good morning. It's been hot here, and I'm not used to it since it only gets really hot a limited number of days. Heh--by really hot I mean over 90. Heck, over 80 is hot for me. Anyway, not sleeping well, so I'm feeling a bit out of sorts.

I'm in a bit of a slump, diet-wise. I'll have to see how I do this weekend, but in a week, I am taking a cruise, and I know I will be eating too much then. I guess I just need to do what I can and forgive myself for the rest--then get back into my routine when I'm on the other side of my vacation.

Annie--sorry about the house. I hope you find another great house to offer on soon. Congrats on the sudden drop. Sounds like water weight.

Dee--I find weekends harder because I don't have my day scheduled.

neurodoc--I weigh every day--I like to spot trends as they develop--but I have a friend who only weighs once a week, sometimes not even that often. To each their own. Find what works best for you, and don't worry about what other people are doing.

I should go get some exercise in before the day heats up, but after sleeping poorly, I'm not feeling like a bundle of energy this morning. I know, though, that starting is half the battle, so I'm going to see if I can get myself started.

Have a great weekend, all.

Hi everyone!

Neurodoc-Glad you are here with us!

Thanks for all the comments about the house, I know there is a reason I didn't get it, I just can't see it right now. Someone came in with cash and didn't need a home inspection. Who has that kind of money laying around? It was a "for sale by owner" deal, so they didn't have to follow the normal rules on offers, etc. I take these kind of things personally and get very upset. I'll recover. I wasn't looking for a house. The older couple who lived there both died within a month of each other and it just went up for sale literally overnight and it was going to go fast. I had hoped they might work with me since I have been a neighbor for so long, but the family just wanted their money. It was a perfect deal. I'll keep my eyes open for any other possibilities.

Something is wrong with my keyboard (the above took me about 10 min. to type), so I am going to stop for now. You all are so inspiring to me! I'm at fiance's and will be doing lots of cooking. Will check in later.

Just had to share this joke I got via email with you ladies:

I don't want to brag or make anybody jealous or anything
but I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

So yesterday I completely fell of the wagon on the food....ate nothing but junk all day, lots of sugar. Not a ton of food but all the wrong stuff...I can't say why because it made me feel like crap - gave me a headache and I had to take a 2-hour nap. My glucose levels were up and down like a yo-yo. Made myself get on the scale this morning expecting the worst, and it said I lost 3lbs between yesterday and today! What's up with that?! Some of it may be do to the fact our heat and humidity is back up, 105-110 with the heat index and I was out in it for several hours going to the farmers market. So I was chugging water and sweating like crazy all day....but it's the craziest thing I've ever seen! I'm sure the scale at the gym will tell another story tomorrow : ( I've behaved much better today and I'm cooking up some fresh veggies etc to get me back on track for the week ahead. I just finished off leftovers from a zucchini and spinach casserole I cooked the other night and plan to make another. Got a fruit crisp planned as well. If I'm going to indulge my sweet tooth I need to be healthy about it. (and I got some awesome peaches and blueberries!) I was disappointed that they were out of my local chicken. Hate going back to storebought! But I made it early enough to snag a dozen fresh eggs and my raw milk. All I need is some of my favorite greek yogurt and I should be able to stay out of trouble for a few days : )

I hope everyone had a great weekend!