Hi everyone!

Jada, just keep going! You'll get results. Every day you stay with your plan is a day closer to a loss. Things go up and down, and we can't control those fluctuations. All we can control is our eating and our exercise.

Today I got out my handy pressure washer and washed the carport and entryway to the house. I have to do these things in sections or it's just too much. But I love my pressure washer. In Florida, algae grows on things because of the damp climate (we're having a drought at the moment, but it's still humid). So, from time to time it has to get cleaned. I used to use a long-handled brush and a bucket and hose, but one day I saw that small pressure washers could be had for less than $100. Well! No more brushwork for me!

Anyway, it took a couple of hours of physical work, and my lower back is complaining... it may be time for a nap. We went out for a late lunch--I had a waffle and two eggs and some bacon--but I'm still at only 1000 cals for the day.

Jude, just keep taking care of that eye--it's really hard because we use our eyes so much, but it must be done. Warm packs are good. Glad to hear you are down a couple pounds!

CountingDown, I'm in the market for jeans these days, too. I need a smaller size--my old ones are falling off. :D

See ya!
Jay

Hi all.
Well, I ripped a pair of jeans last week, were they too tight? I guess not because the next day at school, a tiny little 3rd grade girl came down in the morning with a rip in her jeans in the same place! Not too tight on her, so just wear. It was quite a coincidence!
I am back down to almost where I was before Hawai'i. Finally!! I am still hungry, but I can handle it.
Things at work are better for me. I talked to my boss about it. He seems to be coming down on some other people though. He is stressed! I guess it is his turn. He's been eating chocolate at 9:30a! That's his way to deal with it. He's in good shape though, and most the time he watches what he eats. He talks about being on a diet a lot. I don't really talk about it with anyone at work; not many people at all.
My son is getting out of the Army! He is back in the states, going to be up here soon! It will be so nice to see him, and be able to keep in contact better. He plans on living in Georgia. He really liked it there when he was stationed at Fort Gordon.
It's a beautiful day here! Getting Springy!
Everyone, have a great day!

Hi all - busy day and another quick post. I read everyone's posts today and it looks like everyone is busy too!

My victory for the day was brownies. I ADORE brownies fresh out of the oven. I made them for "coffee hour" tomorrow at church. Well, it took me until 50+ to be smart about it, but I made them in my mini muffin pans. Bite size little brownies. AND - I was able to eat only one of them and not scarf down the whole pan :woohoo:

It worked so well that I'm thinking I can make mini brownies and freeze them every so often. Perfect little chocolate treats :)

I found more jeans this weekend at Fashion Bug. Their entire sale rack is marked $5.98 - so if you are needing jeans ...

I can't get over how good I feel, emotionally and physically. I feel like my old self before my husband got sick. It's a wonderful/happy feeling to be back to my old self. It's been fourteen years. Eating too much sure affects you in more ways than one. I haven't had any trouble with my stomach since I started 3FC. I can enjoy lots of onions again without having to use Pepcid.
I organized lots of paperwork today and threw out lots of junk. Found my old pedometer I thought I threw out. I must have been holding on to hope. I'll have relearn how to use it. Now I can start counting mileage instead of time.
Jay: That was quite an accomplishment to clean the carport.
Jen: I'm so happy for you that things are getting better at work. How wonderful to have your son out of the Army. I would have been worried sick. I was in the Army too for three years (many years ago).
CountingDown: $5.98 for jeans!!! Unbelievable. Sounds like you had a fun day shopping. It's hard to believe you stuck to eating only one mini brownie. I'm not sure I could do it.
I'm going to watch a DVD, Stephen Kings "Rose Red." I'm done eating for the day. Going to play with trying to figure out my pedometer while I'm watching it.

Hi . . . :wave:

Still holding the eating together although I did sneak up a few notches on the carb allotment for a couple of days, but the calories stayed good. No more scale movement though. Hey, I have faith in all of us. We will succeed as long as we keep on doing our best. :yes:

We've got sunshine today and the temperature is supposed to sneak up just slightly above the freezing mark. Not exactly spring-like yet, but I have faith in that, too. It will arrive.

Hope the rest of the weekend is good to everybody.

Meowee, I'm glad for you that your eating going well. Your weather must be improving since you didn't say anything about it.
My official weigh in today was 229 lbs, the same as last Sunday. I'm pretty happy about that since it kept going up to 230 or a few pounds more. Making broccoli a part of every meal is helping me to stay on track. What works best for me is to mix frozen chopped broccoli, onions and applesauce together.
I'll be busy today with family and preparing my meals. At 1200, there's not much to fix. I love not having so much cooking to do, and less dishes to wash, and less grocery shopping. Love it, Love it, Love it.

A quiet Sunday here in northern MI.
It so 50 outside - so I'm going to get some raking done. The dog certainly isn't a blessing after a winter full of "activity" residing in the yard :(

We have a dessert smorgasbord for our Lenten Study tonigh. So LOTS of veggies, protein and water today for me. DH and I discussed our sharing strategy - hopfully we can hold each other accountable.

Gotta fly - that sunshine is calling!

Hi! I see you've all been busy this weekend.

Jada, did I see you say you keep yourself to 1200 calories per day?

JLouBug, I'm glad to hear you've almost lost that Hawaii weight! Will we ever get a photo or two? Glad to hear your son is getting out of the Army.

A dessert smorgasbord, CD? What about people who have given up desserts for Lent? :yikes: Well, good luck!

I hope your eye is still getting better, Jude. By the way, did you ever make it to the symphony?

meowee, you did mention the weather--it was just that it sounded good for a change! :lol: I hope you've been enjoying that sun.

I went to the gym today. I rode 7-1/2 miles on the exercycle. I thought about how my friend who is doing the AIDS ride is doing a 53-mile training ride today... Let's see, that's 7 times farther than I went... and she's only a year younger. I think I'm underestimating what I can do! :chin:

Have a good evening,
Jay

Jay - that is a LOT farther than I could ride. My backside doesn't like the bike much. Now walking on the other hand ...

And, I'm betting that you could go a lot further if you wanted to. You are a very disciplined person that can do pretty much anything you set your mind to. The question is - do you WANT to go further? Or, are you liking the variety of your workouts that challenge your entire body - not just your legs and glutes?

The smorgasbord went well. They did have some veggies, crackers, chips, and cheese for the diabetics in the crowd. Methodists aren't big on giving up things for Lent - though some do. Very few give up foods. Most of us use Lent as a time to practice spiritual disciplines and be more intentional in areas of spiritual growth.

I sampled 9 different desserts. DH and I split "halves" of things, so I really only had a bit or two of each. I did make sure that I had lots of veggies and protein earlier in the day.

I wore my new jeans with a belt - it really helped ;) I guess - bottom line - I planned for the event, and stuck to my plan.

It was actually a cathartic experience. I ate several different items - choosing only the very best and "worth it" desserts. I enjoyed every bite and had no desire to binge or overeat, even though there were 5 different kinds of cheesecake alone.

It made me realize just how far I have come, and how much I have changed over the last 2 years. And, that maybe - just maybe - I can eat eat all things in moderation.

:)
Oh, and we took the scooters to church - it was glorious to actually be out riding again!

Hope you all have a great start to the week!

Laurie

I did well today.
Jay: Yes, I'm on 1200 calories I started on Friday, I think. I'ts only psychological. I figure if I keep my menu at 1200 calories, then the extras I eat won't mess me up, like the the sour cream I sneak on my omelette in the morning, the V8's (one or two) and the broccoli salad I eat when I'm hungry. I figure I actually eat about 1560 calories, not counting the broccoli. I read where broccoli is digested well in the stomach, so does not add any calories in the long run, so I don't even count it. I figure if I set my calories at 1600 and did the little sneaky things, than my calories would go up to 1800 or more.
laurie: It was wonderful to hear that you were able to enjoy yourself and your food while eating in moderation and to see how you've changed. Must have felt good to eat healthy and have fun too.

Hi . . . :wave:

I'm still on track . . . and definitely hoping to stay that way.

Today, I'm ready to complain about the weather . . . :lol: . . . It is sunny again and that's a good thing, but the temperature is getting colder instead of warmer. Oh well, I have to go out anyway.

Nothing too much going on around here. It's School March Break this week and I imagine all the stores will be bust, busy, busy. Of course, in the years when we've still got this much snow a lot of families go on a ski trip.

Hope everybody has a great Monday on the go . . . :carrot:

Meowee: It is interesting how things change during children's school breaks and when it's warmer. The noise and crowds. I think I'm ready for a 55+ community.
My psychology is working. I lost another pound. I stayed under 230 at 228. I'm very happy.

Hi all! just a quick post. I have a school meeting tonight. A good start to the week! I was able to take the scooter to work after lunch - too much ice when I left for work this morning - plus it was still dark :(
I got in 30 minutes of "My Fitness Coach" with the Wii and I will walk to school tonight.

My weight stayed down this morning, so it looks like I survived the desserts :)

DH has decided he wants to drop another 10, so I will probably go a bit stricter with my plan to support him. I can always add a few calories at work if I need to.

The perfectionist in my wants to drop a few more with him, but the sane part of me knows that I need to stay right where I am.

Hope you all had a good start to the week!

Laurie :scooter:

Good Afternoon!!
Well I was doing so great until the weekend. I really have to do something about weekends. On Saturday had a good breakfast but then went to my son's to finish up all the stuff there. I even took a lunch from home so I would eat. Well when I get busy I just do not eat. So along comes 6:30pm and I have not eaten. :hungry:

My son got home from work and we were all finished. He made me supper and it was healthy enought but it seems that when you throw off the timing everything crashes. Then on Sunday same thing. Took a friend out shopping. Had only had breakfast. So by 430pm I was starving and this friend is a lap band person and does not eat. So was starving and went through drive thru for fries. The lap band had a shake. Then had more junk in the evening. Grrr.:tape:
Go figure.
So back OP today at work. Did not weigh this morning. I do not need the scale to beat me up too!
I remember thinking that a protien bar would be a good idea. I am going to get some and just put them in the trunk. Maybe remember to bring a fruit along. Need to plan better. :eek:
The eye is slowly recovering. Still feels like a bit of sand in there but not watering all day long. Still am waiting to go back to the specialist.

Have not made it to the symphony yet. Need to find a friend that would like to go. Everyone seems to be short on cash these days. I am lucky to have a recession proof job but living is pricier I have noticed. When they ring in the groceries I often do a double take at the cashier. " those 3 bags are HOW MUCH?? " I have seen some price gouging going on too. Nothing like the word recession to drive up yesterdays goods to todays prices. :fr:
No stopping it though no matter what you say. I bought yogurt one day the store's brand and 5 days later it was up $1 a container. So 4 yogurt an extra $4. I asked the cashier why but she just works there. :dizzy:

You guys are all a great incentive. Everyone is doing so great. Not sure how you managed a dessert smorgosbord. Yikes I would think I was in heaven!!:cloud9:

Hey Jen awesome that your son is back. I would be holding my breath the whole time I think.
Laurie ....what's a belt? :rofl:
Jay I have a pressure washer too. A day of pressure washing and you feel like you have been a round with Ali! Mine is something like 2100psi. It is hard to kill the algae. This is a rain forest here and we get it too. Bleach works but not great for the environment.
Jada congrats on the 228. I was there a few months back but slid back up. I am going to have to smarten up or you will leave me in the dust. Good work. :broc::broc:
Linda where is the spring?? it is cold here too.

Gotta get back to work......Jude :easter:

Where do you buy the South Beach Living protien bars?? Not sure they are available in Canada. Can you tell me the protien amount??

Hey! :wave:

I woke up around 2:30 a.m., and couldn't get back to sleep. Got up around 3:30 a.m. and worked. Might as well! But it's been a hard day. :tired: Step class at 10:30 was very hard...

hijude, that is some pressure washer! Mine is only 1500psi, and that's plenty! I can do anything I need to with that. And, I don't feel like I've gone 10 rounds with Ali! :lol: Plus it's electric--just plugs into a socket. It says absolutely never to use any bleach in it--it will void the warranty and damage the machine. I use a cleaning fluid made for these machines--a little goes a long way, and it's not toxic like bleach.

Nothing kills algae forever. This cleaner does just as well as bleach. But, eventually you have to clean it off again.

CountingDown, I know nothing about Methodists--I thought you might have been Catholic. :o

Jada1, congratulations on that pound! :cb: :cb: :cb:

Well, being consistent with food is really important for me. I try never to go without eating because I pay for it later. Jude, you need a watch alarm! ;)And a plan...

meowee! You keep on going, girl!

Oh, CD--I'm so glad that I'm not a fan of cheesecake. Well, there have to be a few foods that aren't dangerous for me! :lol: I'd have no trouble passing that up, thank goodness.

Time to do some more work here... Only one more month of this craziness...

Jay

South Beach Bars

Jay - I'm glad you are getting through tax season - but, I'm afraid that there is more craziness coming before you are done!

Jada - I absolutely HAVE to eat every few hours. Not eating regularly is what caused my weight gain over a ten year period. Seriously. Crucial for me to eat regularly!

I get the SB bars at Wal-mart or Meijer. They are usually in the cereal aisle - with the granola bars.

Absolutely LOVE having them as an emergency snack. They are perfect to carry around and are tasty too :)

Gotta get some sleep! Take care all!

Laurie: I think you meant Jude when talking about not going without eating. It's okay, just wanted you to know;). My problem has never been going without eating. Lots of other problems, but not that. I'm impressed with your commitment to the Wii and walking.
Jude: Eating is such a strong social activity, it's tough to stay OP on weekends when we usually get together with family and friends. I feel silly picking at my food, when I weigh more than anybody else in the room. Too bad the project with your son is done. It's so enjoyable to work on projects with people you get along with. Hate to see them end. But another project always comes along.
Jay: Very good going 7 1/2 mi on the exercycle. I think the farthest I've gone is a mile.
I stayed OP today. It's nice to go to bed not hungry, and yet still lose weight. It's also nice to not feel too full and to not have stomach problems making it difficult to sleep. I think it was Laurie who said that when you get your weight down, you will enjoy your food more. I'm beginning to see a glimpse of it already, in that I can enjoy onions in my omelette now, which I had stopped doing to stop the heartburn.

:luck2you: Top o' the mornin' to ye . . . :drinkup: Apparently the green beer is already flowing around here -- the bars in Halifax opened at 7 am and people were already lined up to get in.

At least we've got sunny and cold weather again today and I just might have to don some green clothing and go off to town for a few things I forgot yesterday.

Beautiful trip across the Causeway yesterday . . . the ice is breaking up in the harbour and three gorgeous bald eagles were cruising along the open water looking for a little snack. Yes, I think Spring will actually arrive. :D

Happy St. Patricks Day everybody :cupgold:
Meowee: Your community sounds so beautiful:goodvibes. What a great way to live. I've never tried green beer. Sounds fun.

Jada - you are correct of course!

Linda - LOL, Don't tell Gary about the beer, he will be coming for a visit ;) I think you are right - is sure feels like spring! We are sending some warm weather your direction - it is 63F here today! It feels heavenly!

So, obviously - I gotta get outside and enjoy this weather. More yard work is just the ticket!

:luck2you: Enjoy the day!

Happy St Patricks day!!:drinkup:
Jada interesting how you picked up on my feelings. It was fun working on my son's place. But the best part was watching him enjoy the work we had done for him. :D
I was OP yesterday but not so great today. I have a friend at work and she brought me cake to my desk. Funny she figures I can use a little treat!!
Not. :drool:
All in all things are ok here today. The battle with the food makes me a little testy at times. Today is one of them. But I am a believer that a better day can start any moment. I have OP food with me here at work.
It is a learning curve and I seem to be a slow learner but as long as we are still going forward instead of giving up. :woohoo:

Hope everyone is having a great day and enjoying the sunshine. It was sunny here this morning but has since clouded over. I have some flowers growing in my back garden and birds lined up at the bird bath. They are a riot. They sit in the trees waiting their turn. Same breeds will bath together which is too cute. :flow2:
Have a good one and yes in Canada they do serve green beer!
Cheers.....Jude :egg:

hi to all, I can't believe how busy I'ver been the last too weeks. The stress is getting to me. We had a great day yesterday and I went for a three mile bike ride. It sure felt great. Today , it was 65 here. It weas absolutely beautiful. I spring has come to stay. I've lost a couple pounds this month and hope to lose more. Talk to you soon. Happy St. Patrick's day.

Do you know why the Irish can only put 239 beans in their soup?

Because one more would be too farty. HA HA

Flowingair: That was a funny joke :lol:
I stuffed myself tonight. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I was hoping it wouldn't be until I was under 200 lbs :o The good thing is that I stuffed myself with broccoli before I started on the unhealthy food. It didn't upset my stomach, but I sure feel tired now. Another good thing is that it takes a smaller amount to stuff me now.

Flowingair: Congratulations of the loss of a couple of pounds. Yeah!!!!:carrot:

Well, it looks like I'm getting a cold. :mad: Maybe I can fight it off, because just going to bed is out of the question. Figures, doesn't it? Worst timing.

flowingair, sounds like you have been way too busy! :stress: I like the idea of that bike ride. :wave:

Jada, you were doing so well! What do you think set you off? Maybe tracking your actual calories eaten might help... I find that if I aim too low, I can't sustain it.

There are lots of Irish in San Francisco, and St. Patrick's Day is a big event. When I lived there in my drinking days I used to love it--one of those public-drunkeness-is-OK holidays. And yes, I've drunk the green beer. I have to say, I don't miss those days or their aftermath.

Is anyone thinking ahead to any fun trips or excursions?

Jay

Good Morning . . . :grouphug:

Another sunny day and we may work up to above freezing temperatures, too.

Nothing too exciting in my plans. Still recovering from my major chocolate meltdown (darned bunnies) yesterday. Just worked out my averages for the month so far and happy to say my 2286 total calories yesterday did NOT screw things up too badly. I'm still in good shape for the month. Average total calories are 1444 and percentages are running right on 40% carbs and 30% each for fat and protein. Sometimes you just get lucky I guess. Don't plan to rest on my laurels though. I'm stuck on 210 and I definitely want to be able to move that ticker into the new decade by the end of the month. ;)

I do believe in the 'cycling' philosophy whatever you are tracking. I just don't think it needs to be all pre-planned. For me, it just seems to happen and that's probably true for us all. :lol:

Have a great day . . . :carrot:

I was shocked I weighed 228 lbs this morning :dance: I thought for sure I shot back up to 240. Have to have more confidence in myself.
I'll read up on "cycling" and get back to counting actual calories eaten though.
I don't have any trips planned this year, but I am moving to a quiet suburb in Vegas closer to the mountains and a man made lake. It has beautiful grass lined walking paths, and a beautiful library full of culture that will be just across the street from me.
Maybe I'll set a goal that when I get under 200 lbs, I'll stay at an ocean front hotel in La Jolla, California.

Just a quick post tonight.

We are planning a trip to Kalamazoo next month, and one to Chicago yet this spring.
There are some plays we want to see :)

Have a good day all!

Well I am going to meet Jada at the hotel on the beach in California when I get below 200 lbs. :beach: Could be a bit of a wait though.
Doing well today. Not so great yesterday but moving ahead today.
Weather is blah!

I am booking holidays for the year. Need to make some plans to travel a bit. Think a trip to Cuba in the fall with a friend. We will see. Am expecting company in the summer and may go to Toronto in July to see my brother. :hug: I will be off 6 weeks from surgery so may travel at the end of it.
Hope everyone is having a great day.... :celebrate:
Jude

Hi there . . . :wave:

Today has dawned with very overcast skies, but it is fairly mild. The good news is that I finally realized what day it is. :lol: I spent most of yesterday thinking that Friday which is the first day of Spring was going to be the 22nd. It's like somebody just gave me an extra two days this month. :dizzy: Sometimes the 'senior moments' just seem to get closer and closer together.

I've got plans for a little trip this Fall and unfortunately may have to hit the Toronto (Barrie actually) area before that. Sadly, my cousin (who is more like a brother to me) has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's tough being so far away.

Nothing exciting for me today . . . lunch out and a bit of shopping, I guess. Ate well yesterday and will try to string another good one on there today.

See you later . . . :carrot:

The day is starting out great. Yesterday I walked after lunch and after dinner. I was happy to weigh in under 230:grouphug: Have a great day.

I went through the Pyramid guidelines today, and for once they made sense. I guess my thinking is clear now that I'm eating better. It's all food I like. I just eat too much of it. I'll keep the guidelines on my fridge to make sure I don't go overboard. I tend to start adding stuff as the days go by.

A quick post again tonight. Another LONNNNGGG day at work (14 hr shift). Great to see so many travel plans! The kids and my Mom are coming some time this summer. We are changing to a new student information system this summer as well - so summer travel (which we usually do) is out. I'm thinking a nice trip this fall would be great! Maybe Niagara wine county - so beautiful in the fall!

I hope to get caught up this weekend! Have a great Friday!

I'll never get caught up. I'm sick. :( And I'm bloated as a result. :(

That's it for tonight! Tomorrow is another day...

Jay

Hi Jada congratulations on your milestone. I'm looking to get into onederland by next month.

We all seem to be hanging in here, not letting the bleeps get to us. St. Patty's Day was not my best eating day, but I'm back OP now.

It's cold again here, but spring can't be that far away. Have a great day everyone.

Happy SPRING . . . :yay:

Well, it is officially SPRING and, the sun is trying to shine in northeastern Nova Scotia. Needless to say it is a bit colder that we might like around here though and there is **** in the forecast for Monday/Tuesday. A lot can happen between now and then, of course, so maybe "they" will be wrong. :crossed:

I celebrated the start of this glorious new season by removing the 'blankie' I tack over my westerly facing, and very drafty, sunroom door. As I sit here in front of it, I fear I may have jumped the gun a little; but it definitely looks more spring-like in here. May trot off to town later on just because I can but other than that I honestly have no plans for the day.

How about you . . . any exciting 'vernal equinox' celebration plans?

I feel like running today. I'm curious how far I'll get. Last night I ran a short distance down my hallway because my muscles called out for running.

I could only run a quarter of a long block. It felt good to run, but my body isn't quite ready for it yet. I walked very fast instead and walked a further distance, to the park. I usually only drive to the park because it's so far away or it seems so far away. But it's within walking distance in reality.:running:
Jay & Jude: I hope your feeling better!!!:bunny2:

I went to the gym today even though I'm still stuffy. I did 40 minutes on the treadmill, worked up a good sweat. And that was about it.

It was also the day we go get our hair cut and then go out to lunch after. I had herb-crusted salmon on a bed of spring greens with some sliced roma tomatoes, a sprinking of blue cheese and some crushed walnuts, and a ginger dressing on the side. Delicious! and probably only about 400 cals.

Good for you for trying running, Jada. Only now can I do any running at all--and it still bothers my knees a little, but I'm getting better at it.

meowee, I hope that you don't get that **** ;)

:wave:

Jay