I was facing the same sort of food challenge today. I get together with six quilting friends once a month for a potluck lunch. The hostess provides the main dish and the others bring salads and desserts. Usually at least 3 people bring a high sugar/high fat dessert. I am a sugar addict and end up far too of the stuff. I find it hard to eat less than 1600 calories while trying to shed weight. I lose about 1/2 pound a week, which is an OK rate since I only have 10-12 pounds to lose. A major pig-out can easily undo all the hard work of the previous week.

I was going to take fruit and just eat that. But that probably would have been awkward. Then I got a nasty cold so I won't be going.

I also have only finished my first week of my diet and exercise plan and probably would have caved and eaten far too much of the high fat/sugar stuff. I do pretty well with portions during the main meal, but rich desserts just make me want to have more, more, more.

Stopping in again to see how ya'all are
 

I should post on here more than a couple times a month but I have been so busy with posting on other sub-forums that I run out of gas.

I am really sorry to hear that you are in the depths of grief, Spinymouse. My mom went in for a hysterectomy for advanced cancer and after more complications than I can list she is alive butin ICU with a trachetomy and feeding tube in after having a stroke. I am not really sure if I will ever see the Mom I spoke with the night before her surgery. I have had a lot of talks with my only sister and sibling about what to do. My Dad is so grief-stricken he is inconsolable.

In order for me to get through these kinds of situations, and I have have suffered different loses over my life time, I have found that the best thing to do is do what you can. Following my food plan, getting busy and watching some good tv programming helps. I have prayed a Rosary every day since she told us she has cancer. All of these give me some sense and purpose to life, especially when it seems so cruel and unfair. I have found that gives a person a sense of control back into their life and then you are doing something more constructive rather than destructive like the drinking or binging. Why add more misery, like JayEll mentioned, to the misery you are already experiencing?

On top of this, I haven't got the money to go and see my Mom either. My family understands. I do keep in touch via phone to both the nursing staff, doctors and my family members but I have to stand by like a spectator during this time of need in my family. I have had the offer of a plane ticket home for my DH and I but I am holding onto that in case this gets worse and she dies. At this point, I do not know whether she will fully recover from this stroke she had a week ago and then I have to consider that even with chemo she had a 5-10 year chance of survival. If she spends that time trying to be rehabilitated from this stroke on top of that what quality of life would she really have? I have to also wonder how my parents will be able to afford all of the expenses as well. Will they lose their house? Will they be bankrupt?:?:

Life is not fair, Spinymouse, but who ever said it was? Allow yourself a period of grief but don't become destructive and wallow in self-pity. It is not showing respect for yourself or for the person you are grieving. Ask yourself what would she/he want for you and then try to make that happen.

this is all said with a lot of love and respect, we all want you to heal and not have all of your good work go for naught.:hug:

Keep warm and focussed. Life is still good in spite of the few speed bumps along the way.:)

Hello!

CountingDown, did you like Mysterious Mountain? You might also want to hear Hovhaness's "Spirit of Trees," which is a sonata for harp and guitar.

pamatga, good to "see" you here again! :wave: I'm sorry to hear about your mom. :( It sounds terrible.

CatR! Welcome! I know what you mean about an episode of really overeating undoing the hard work of a week. Been there!

BillBlueEyes, I'll definitely report on the performance. Yesterday my friend and I drove over to Tampa to make sure we know where we're going. We're relatively new to this area, even though we've lived in Florida for several years now. It's an easy drive from where we live. And the Tampa Bay Performing Art Center is really wonderful! Many different-sized performance spaces, a wonderful library nearby, and a restaurant and cafe right there at the center.

Spiny, are you out there? Hope you're doing OK.

Jay

Hi Everyone. It has been a rough week, to say the least.
Pam, I am sorry to hear about your mother's complications. How awful. You are blessed to have such inner strength through all of this.

I plan to do a fire ceremony as my way of sending my friend on his way but the weather has not been cooperating. Will try for today.

Jay - I really did enjoy it! I will look for "Spirit of Trees" - thanks for the suggestion :)

Jo - glad to hear from you. I hope you get a chance to say your goodbyes today. You are in my thoughts!

pamatga - Thanks for letting us know about your Mom. Stay strong! I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers as well. Having aging parents is really hard. Both my Mom and SF are ill - it IS something that weighs heavily on us - doesn't it?

HUGE NSV for me today. I decided that it was time to dust off the X country skis after 7 years of storage. We hit the trail and did 2.5 miles. It was beautiful! And DH told me that he had a hard time keeping up with me - that I was really flying :D I had so much fun! I'm hoping the weather holds so we can get out again next weekend :)

:wave:

Had company for lunch today and that was great . . . however it is now 6:45 pm and they have just left and that is not so great; especially since we are supposed to have a very nasty day tomorrow and I never got out to get milk and stuff this afternoon -- imagine I'll survive, though. :lol: It was a terrific visit and everybody loved the homemade soup. :yes:

Sounds like the rest of you have had a pretty actiove day . . . keep up the good stuff, gnag . . . :carrot:

Well -- they definitely got the forecast right. :mad: I'm going to go back to bed for a little while and hope this stupid headache (weather-related) goes away.

Hope the rest of you are having a great and fun kind of day . . . :wave:

Monday... you're kidding, right? :lol:

Not much fun on the docket today, I'm afraid. But I hope to go for a walk when it warms up a little. I did MAKE myself go to the fitness center yesterday :drill: and I rode the exercise bike. Of course, I want immediate results from that, but no such luck. :p

Jay

I have been doing the knee exercises that my DH got from his physical therapist. I think maybe my knees are feeling better. I have been doing my stair-stepper thing for a few minutes every day. This is what I need to learn - I don't have to do it for two hours the very first time I try. I am an all or nothing sort of person. :lol: Anybody here recognize me? I have also been doing my "car exercises" regularly.

Cross country skiing!! That has got to be one of the hardest sports there is. It has been many years since I tried it, and I didn't like it because it was just too darned hard. I'm very impressed, Counting. Keep up the good work!

Gail! Where you been? And what's this about knees--I guess you never did get those new shoes... ;) You're right about the stair stepper and all those other machines... 2 hours the first time is just a leeeetle bit excessive! Gosh, the first time I tried a stair stepper, I lasted maybe 5 minutes and that was it.

What are "car exercises"?

Jay

Here we are. Another day of not too great weather and another day of a not too great feeling head. Hopefully tomorrow will be much better in both departments. Looked outside just a while ago (because I really, really need to get to the nearest grocery store) but everywhere I can see there is just a nasty looking sea of ice. Guess I'll dig around in the freezer again. :lol: At least I have the makings for a decent salad on hand.

Hope everybody else is doing great things . . . :wave:

I have chronic knee pain that comes and goes with the weather and sometimes for no reason at all. I have had this since I was 20 yrs old and weighed 100lbs, so it's not all due to being overweight.

I honestly have not been to the mall since we started talking about shoes. We are going to Bakersfield for DH dr. appt next week, so maybe then.

My "car exercises" are sort of like crunches, I think. I set the cruise control, hold on to the steering wheel (of course!), put both feet flat on the floor, and lift my feet off the floor. I started out doing this with my knees slightly apart because it is easier. Now I do it with my knees together. Really works on the stomach muscles. At first I could do 10 "lifts". Now I can do 150 easily.

I drive about 35 miles through the desert to work. There is very little traffic and visibility forever. I DO NOT do this in town or in traffic.

I am wanting to use my little "mini-stair-stepper" because it has been raining (a good thing), cold, and generally not nice outside for walking. This piece of equipment takes up very little space and can sit out all the time - in hopes that I see it and use it!

I continue to have difficulty making a committment to exercise. I do it for a while, then slack off. Sort of "yo yo" exercising. But I read in one of my books that ANY exercise is better than none, so I am going with that idea.

The 19th of this month marked my one year anniversary of eating less/better. I started out eating a lot of lean cuisine. Now I am eating all homemade, fresh etc. food. I am kind of thinking that this year I will concentrate on adding exercise to my life.

I was all fired up last night because I was down a pound when I weighed. Then I couldn't go to sleep, tossed and turned etc, so I feel like a slug this morning.

I live on the base of a mountain. Today is high winds and blowing snow. At least the days are getting longer so Spring may eventually show up and I'll be able to get outside to jog again. Yesterday I did a step DVD. A weight workout is on the agenda for the day.

If I didn't exercise, I would weigh a lot more than I do now. Sometimes I have difficulty getting motivated to do it, but if I flake off more than a week or so, I start getting back pain and sciatica. I feel fine if I workout, and am really grateful that I control this with exercise. If I get myself started I usually find that it is not that hard to finish the workout

Hey again, CatR! I just got back from the fitness center. I didn't want to go, but I did anyway. Exercise really has been the answer for my lower back--sitting all day makes it worse!

Gail--happy anniversary! And look at how far you've come! :cheer2: :broc:

meowee, o when will spring come? ;) Do you have any snowdrops poking up yet? Do you have crocus up there? I know it's a bit early yet.

Where's our other folks? :wave:

Jay

CatR - Looks like that cold nasty weather is headed my way. Blizzard warning for tonight with wind chill below -25F. UGH. I have to drive to Detroit area tomorrow for a conference for work. I agree with you, even though I don't always feel like exercising - I really need to. The last two days, I have been dragging when I get home from work. I definitely put forth less energy doing my workouts - but, at least I did them :)

Gail - congrats! 1 year is a GREAT milestone! Your car crunches sound interesting. I may try them as a passenger tomorrow. It is a 4 hr car ride when the weather is nice - tomorrow will be a challenge.

Linda - I hope your ice clears soon. We canceled school again today because of the ice. It was a blessing to have a quiet day - I got so much done :)

Jay - congrats on getting in your workout! You have been really dedicated this month :)

Question - the trip to Detroit will allow me to stop at Trader Joe's (it is the closest one to my house -so I only get there once or twice a year). What are your favorites from TJ? I want to make a list so I don't forget anything :D

walking in a 5k walk on Feb 9 th Ya Hoo :)
 

Howdy, I'm walking in a 5k on Feb 9th, walking, jogging 3x a week wish me blessing on the walk!

There are a couple of TJs in Ann Arbor, too.

Lessee....Light Chevre (goat cheese), Not sure of the name, here, but Celtic reduced fat cheddar - very tasty. Nuts and seeds, dried cranberries with omega 3, TJ's house brand of Greek style yogurt - even the fat free is good. Fage imported from Greece is good, too, but costs more, I think. Whole Wheat mini pitas (about three inches across), 70+% dark chocolate. Frozen haricots verts. Fire roasted red bell peppers in a jar. Salad dressings: TJ's house brand of fat free Balsamic, low fat Raspberry and fat free Soy ginger sesame ( this last one is called "Trader Ming's" because it's Asian, I guess). I got frozen shrimp and scallops that were very good, although pricey.

I don't envy your making a trip in the frigid weather you are having! Drive carefully.

Good Luck HAPPYFACE . . . go girl go . . . :yay:

Hi there . . . :wave:

Boy was I ever glad I had my Yak-Trax with me this morning . . . :yes: . . . Had to go out early and although the driving wasn't too bad (as long as you didn't try to do anything too quickly), the walking was a major disaster. Just a thin coating of sheer ice on every parking lot I encountered. It was an adventure staying upright even with the Yaks on. :lol: Have to go out again later this afternoon. Hope things melt a little by then -- although the temp is supposed to hover right around the freezing mark all day and there is no sun predicted, either, until tomorrow. At least I've got cream for my coffee, again and the headache is mostly gone.

Hope everybody else is having a great day. . . . :grouphug:

Gosh meowee, sounds like you're doing a survival thing!

When I lived in New England, I used to carry a coffee can of sand/salt mixture in the car. I would take it with me when I had to walk from the car to someplace--so I could shake some sand in front of me on any ice. It made a big difference!

Good luck on the 5K, happyface! I'm a Floridian, too. :sun:

Any weight loss successes out there? We're all workin' our butts off, there ought to be some! ;)

Jay

I read the recent posts and got inspired to take my own advice and did a step workout. I woke up 2 hours early and couldn't get back to sleep.

Hi, Happy. I lived in West Palm Beach 1973-75. Your 5K should be a lot of fun.

TJ: Frozen wild salmon, crimini mushrooms, peanut butter, tofu, TJ sprouted breads, Balade light butter.

Thanks Jay for the idea of keeping sand/salt in the car.

I lost 1 1/2 pounds last week:carrot: I would like to reach my goal June 15th, my 63rd birthday. That would be a great present to myself:) I will be losing slowly because it is hard to eat less than 1600 calories, but it seems like a reasonable goal provided I keep to my exercise and diet.

Good Evening All
 

:woops:Hope everyone is doing well. Sounds like a lot of good work out there in the way of exercise. I too am finally getting to the gym and seem to have gotten past that dragging of the feet.
I did skip the progressive dinner and glad I did. I am watching what I eat and trying to stay around 1500 calories.
But had 2 bad days yesterday and Monday. We had a big snowstorm yesterday and the management likes to reward us with donuts. I so hate that and it is so hard to resist. I am thinking of sending in a suggestion that for health reasons they reconsider with chopped veggies. It is real easy to drive through the donut drive through and bring in cases of donuts. But not that much harder to find veggies.
I actually find it a bit of an insult. It happens quite often so time to speak up for the many. Anonymously of course.:chicken:
So that has been my week 5 good days. Hoping for some weight loss soon.

and so how warm is it in Florida????:sunny:

have a good week everyone!:dust:

cheers Jude:woops:

Hey hijude,

Offices are problematic, because a lot of people do like the donuts, etc. and like you said, they are easy. You could also suggest some fruits, like apples, grapes, etc. along with the donuts. They can also be overeaten--anything can--but they don't do as much damage so fast.

Maybe you could offer to help out by bringing some fruits in on those days. No one has to know you're "dieting," just that you think some healthier snacks would be good. If done the right way, you'll sound like a helper instead of a complainer...

Busy day for me--going to Macy's to buy clothes. :fr: I have always hated clothes shopping, even when I was normal size. And right now, I have no idea what size I am, because I have bought only a few things since I lost weight. But, I want to dress right for that concert I told you all about.

Jay

Hope February is better
 

January has been such a yukky month for me and my family. I hope that February is better.

Mom is still in ICU back in Minnesota. I can't afford to fly home right now although through some very kind people we do have two free plane tickets whenever we want to do that. I want to wait until Mom is aware of us--the family. She is still suffering from that stroke and all the other complications she had from the cancer surgery. I sent flowers but they had to throw them away. Yellow is her favorite color but she never got to see them and appreciate them.

I had an indiscretion with fudge, my owns doings not any boss, this past weekend. I did send most of it with DH to work (sorry but I didn't need any more!) His co-workers liked it. Now, I have the two lbs from last week to re-lose all over again. :cry:

Well, got to start work, have fun shopping JayEll, that is something I never get tired of, I love to shop!!

Almost done with that bathroom, ran out of wallpaper border so I had to reorder something different and I am going to put that up on my lunch break (I work from home)

Have a good day, closer to the weekend Yea:carrot:

What do donuts have to do with offices?
This makes as much sense to me as it would to have: artichokes associated with pool tables, maraschino cherries associated with Episcopalian churches, or almond paste associated with Oldsmobile dealerships.
People were bringing me food a lot last week. Kind of weird. What does grief over the loss of the Moving Focal Point Of The Entire Universe have to do with food? I didn't get donuts though. Thank God or Whoever. I got sushi, vegetable and anchovy pizza, roasted garlic and goat cheese and bread, and wine. Lots of wine. I am grateful, really.
And I don't understand what guacamole has to do with the Super Bowl!!!
And why is it always "the big game." Is there never a medium sized game, or a game kind of on the smallish side???
Hope everyone is doing well. I haven't done anything in almost two weeks now.

Oh Spiny, you are so Spiny, you must be feeling better! :) Anyway, I hope you are.

As far as I'm concerned, guacamole goes with everything! :drool:

Also, dear Jo, the smallish games and medium-sized games have already been played, and there were plenty of them. Boring ones, dumb ones, some good ones that were no big deal. So yes, this IS the "big game." And I have already bought my game goodies! :cheer2: You don't think I was wearing that little pink outfit just for fun, do you? ;)

OK, I'm off to shop. boo. More later.

Jay

Hi, is anyone using Dance Dance Revolution? Right now I have a treadmill which I use six days a week and am going to start working with free weights. I love to dance but would like to hear from anybody who's tried DDR and is 50 or older before I buy one. I've watched kids using it at the mall and it looks like fun, and like a goody way for a little more exercise variety. Thanks!

sweet fang, I bought it for my sister but she's not yet 50. It looks fun to me, too! But I haven't tried it.

Jay

So everyone is doing well I hope? Today I wrote the note for the suggestion box for non consumables or healthy snacks anytime they want to buy something. This is from the managers as a "treat" and we never know when it will happen. But they do read and comment on the suggestion box.

So how did the shopping go Jayell? I hate shopping too. Like I was told as a child there is just nothing in the store that would fit me.
I remember going shopping after a big weight loss and going out of the dressing room to continually try a smaller size. It was awesome. But the sad part is that my eyes could not see how well I had done until the clothing showed I had lost weight. :lol:running:

Spiny I hope the weeks are getting better. And you aren't doing nothing you are talking and grieving and it takes time. huggs.

So what is this dance thing? and good for you for doing so much tredmill. I have a great one but never get on it. I like the gym as I find it more sociable. Not that anyone talks to anyone......:carrot:

So I am off to the gym in the morning and then to the sauna and then work. Thank goodness it will be Friday.........cheers Jude:coffee:

Let's start a new thread! Come on over, gang!

Jay