Good evening all,

Well, I've done a little better with the food and exercise the last couple days. Hoping that I am back on the wagon and on a roll. I have almost gotten rid of the few pounds I gained back when my eating was sort of out of control.

The exercise yesterday was walking (don't laugh) in my living room back and forth ~ broken up in two 15 minute chunks. Today, a bike ride ~ around 30 minutes (I stopped to put a rubber band around my pant leg ~ forgot before I started, but remembered quickly enough when my pants got caught in the chain). The weather was nice ~ it was a tiny bit chilly, but it is way more comfortable that way than when it gets blistering hot and humid. Maybe tomorrow, I can start a little earlier so it is not almost dark when I get home like it was tonight.

I have doctors appointments toward the end of May, and am hoping to be under 200 by then ~ so that they can see that (even though I mess up from time to time) I am making slow progress toward improving my health. There, I said it ~ maybe that will kind of hold me accountable to you all ~ and I won't just blow things off.

Tera~ sorry your job is so stressful and making you feel unhappy. I hope you can find something that is a better fit for you ~ the sooner the better.

Lucinda ~ glad you had such a glorious moment at the restaurant ~ the lovely salad and the ladies noticing your weight loss. That is a good feeling.

Marie ~ sorry your other trip made you sick. Hope your asthma is letting up so you can feel better and enjoy your upcoming Tahoe trip.

Darcy ~ hope all is well with you.

Take care all

cals-1905(440), exerc-step class at the Y. I did okay today. Work was better also. I think my boss felt bad about freakin' me out yesterday and was much less crazy today. Phew. I am enjoying my lunch salads this week. Today was romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, garbanzo beans, kalamata olives, feta cheese and oil and vinegar.

Gayle-You should go for that 7 pound loss. Spring is a great time to work on healthy eating. The weather is changing and so can we!

cal-2025 (240), exerc-body sculpt at the y with 30 mins walking on the treadmill. It was a beautiful sunny spring day here. Whenever I think of snacking these days, I quickly remind myself of those summer clothes I want to wear. I have a long ways to go to fit into those things.

cals-2080 (390), ex-step class at the Y.

Hello all,

A beautiful day today. We rode our bikes to a couple parks with Maddie. It took about 1/2 an hour to get back, so the riding part of the trip was probably somewhere around 1 hour. Eating was good today ~ I'm almost there (the end of the day) afternoons/evenings are sometimes the hardest part eating wise. I am slowing down and not feeling like working on some project and the munchies hit ~ I struggle not to give in to that.

Hope you all are doing well.

Take care

cals-1735 (240), ex-body sculpt class at the Y. I am working on all my bad habits-I think the calorie totals are definitely improving. However, no great weight loss-a little though. I am getting close to actually weighing 149! I have hit it once or twice lately but not consistently yet. These things take time!

Gayle-Your bike ride sounds lovely-hopefully incident free :) I hear you on struggling with the munchies. It is hard work but well worth the effort. Hang in there.

cals-2160 (290), exerc-long walk with my friend. It was such a gorgeous day here, I just did not have the heart for exercising indoors-poor Y instructor! Half the place is already empty due to spring break for the schools and now add those of us playing hooky due to the nice weather-I bet that was a small group today. Hubby and I went out for Mexican for dinner. Strange thing though-I didn't really enjoy it. I do so much cooking at home now, eating out just doesn't cut it for freshness and flavor-at least not the inexpensive places I frequent. Well, that should make things a lot easier going forward.

Marie-Welcome back, we missed you. This last get away seemed to have gone smoother than the last few (although I am sure all three were loads of fun). No injuries and no sickness upon return. WooHoo! Going by your calorie totals and exercise reports-it appears you are on your way back to your svelte self. Keep on keepin on!

Does anyone want to consider adding a veggie report to our entries as a motivation to eat healthier food? For example, my veggies today included: spring mix greens, cucumber, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, peppers and onion.

just got back from ZUMBA! Love it b/c I get to dance. There are exercises I can not do,( jumping jacks) but everything else im class is so much fun. I am the oldest in class but I wear bright colors and smile.
I have lost over 30 pounds since jan/1/14. In two more pounds I'll reach goal!
broccoflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, leafy greens, snap peas, tomatoes, avocado... I am a vegan!

cals-2015 (540), ex-body sculpt class at the Y. Veggie report-lettuce, carrot, tomatoes, peppers, celery, onion, mushrooms and broccoli. Half the veggies were at lunch with my sandwich and the rest in suppers' stir fry.

Lucinda-Excellent job losing 30 pounds! You are a rock star. I used to attend Zumba classes in the past. I agree they are a lot of fun.

yest cals-2235,950. no exercise. Veggies: leeks, potatoes, mushrooms, lettuce, salsa. Yesterday was FAC at my neighbors. Had a great time chatting, drinking wine and eating chips but felt rather unhappy with myself afterwards. I really need to make some changes if I am actually going to lose weight. Anyway, I am reading "French Women Do Not Get Fat" for inspiration. I have read this before but it makes more sense to me this time. Before I always thought the authors suggestions were just too difficult for me to incorporate in my lifestyle. I realize now I want exactly what she describes. Health, fitness, control and enjoyment of great food. Still, I don't know how she accomplishes the small portions and self control. For example, she allowed herself two pieces of chocolate during the work week. That is all. I eat 6 a day! That will be my next challenge. Plus I am going to try and force myself to post on the weekend. I like to ignore those calories like they don't exist but my body tells me otherwise!

Marie-Excellent veggie results! Glad you were able to use your elliptical. I also strongly abhor exercise absences. So I say anyway. I guess what I really dislike is getting out of the routine because I find it hard to get back.

cals yest-2760 (650),exerc-none, well kinda-yardwork with lots of breaks. Veggies:leeks, potato, mushrooms, tomato sauce, onion, lettuce.

cals-1630, exerc-none, well kinda, walked around the mall. Veggies: asparagus, mashed potatoes.

Quilts Finished This Weekend
 

cals-1795, exerc-step class at the Y. Veggie Report-Potato Leek Soup, spring mix salad, and tomato sauce and a few veggies on my small slice of pizza. Okay day-I'll take it!

Marie-Your quilts are beautiful. What a wonderful talent. Thanks for sharing the pics. Your cals look good also! We are on our way.

Good evening all,

I am doing ok ~ kind of struggling with the eating and exercise. Lately, it is like I eat good one day, then not so good the next day. I am up and down the same 3 or 4 pounds.

Today is a new day ~ not giving up ~ I guess hoping for more "good days" than "not so good days".

I did the walking in the house thing again today. 30 minutes worth.

I'll try to add my vegetables (maybe fruits as well ~ I don't make bad choices all the time :o

Lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrots, tomato, mushrooms, cabbage, apple, orange.

Now, if I can just keep my hands and mind busy this evening and keep them out of food.......

cals-2215 (280) exerc-none.Veggies-not many-a carrot and some lettuce on tacos. My tummy is all messed up-I think I have a bug but still managed to eat-but it did make my tummy hurt-probably not a good idea. Just goes to show how crazy I can be about eating. I ended up skipping the Y though and took a two hour nap after work instead.

Marie-Another good day for you-excellent. My knees are just starting to bother me. I used to wonder what people were talking about-now I know. So far it is still doable though.

Gayle-I can relate to the good days/bad days cycles. For me, I just try to focus on my goals. I have high hopes I will get it back together. In the meanwhile, at least we are working on it.

Hello all,

It was a beautiful sun shiny day today. Nice temperature ~ low 70's ~ just right. I sort of wanted to go out and ride my bike, but it was my son's day off so I hung around hoping he might drop in. If it is good weather tomorrow, I think I will go ~ try out a path I have not been on before.

30 minutes house walking (broken up into two 15 minute chunks) walking makes my hips hurt and my low back ~ so by breaking it up like that, I can tolerate it for 15 minutes at a time.

Fruits/vegetables today: lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans, apple, orange, blueberries and strawberries.

I almost gave in to stress eating tonight, but a phone call saved me.

Hi gals! I know, I know...long time no see...BUT, I haven't fallen off the wagon, it's strictly a lack of sleep/long work nights that has kept me from visiting. I apologize! Actually, I'm working now but decided I couldn't wait another day (or it would turn into another week LOL), so I dropped in to say hello. :-) Week before last was horrid....31 hours of time in bed over 7 days....I was barely coping by the end. My "off" weekend hit and I accomplished nothing...but I did discover how wonderful 9 hours straight in bed could feel. :-D This past week was bedtimes of 4 or 5 a.m. but my youngest two were on spring break, which meant I didn't have the school lunchtime job, which meant I got 6-7 hours of sleep a night before my long weekend hit again. Wish I could break the cycle, but we take what we can get, I guess, when it comes to having a job.

Weight wise, as of this morning I was back to where I was at the end of February....I had been up 2 lbs and fluctuating there for a whole month and got frustrated. I started reading too much about BMR, TDEE, etc. and was confused as to what I should be doing, what number I should follow for calorie goals, etc. and thought I must be doing something wrong. I wrote to someone who seemed to have this all under control (maintenance for 2 years) and she wrote back and confirmed it really should be simple. It gave me a renewed mindset and I've been more motivated to keep at it the last few days...and today I had dropped those 2 pounds. What tomorrow brings, who knows..but I'm not giving up!

I also know this gets much harder as I get older (which of course my GYN and internist were more than happy to reiterate <G>), so I need to practice patience...why is that SO hard sometimes? LOL I think the stress came from my doctor wanting to see weight loss at my 2-month checkup, and being worried the few pounds I had lost wasn't enough. But, I had my appointment last week and he was happy to see anything less than it was, which made me feel good. My fasting blood sugar was 120 (had been 130) and my A1c dropped only a tenth of a point, but he said it was enough to keep me off of starting meds for diabetes, so in the grand scheme of things it's all good. Oh, and my cholesterol profile, thanks to starting Lipitor 2 months' prior, blew me away....My LDL dropped from 116 to 40, HDL rose from 44 to 49, triglycerides dropped from 140 to 50, and non-HDL cholesterol dropped from 144 to 50! I don't have to return for 4 months. Yay!

Food wise, still sticking to 1200 calories a day and with the exception of being over 3 or 4 days (not more than 150 calories), I've stayed at or under that. Definitely need to increase the veggies though, especially reading about all the great things you all eat! Wish I was more adventurous and liked more variety! Walking has been hit or miss, but I'm doing it the days I can and not stressing over it the days I can't (new mindset for me). Would love to make it more consistent eventually, as I know it would help with the weight loss. :-)

As for all of you, it sounds like you're all really on a roll....calorie counts and exercise seem to be finding their balance. Way to go!

Lucinda, congrats on the 30 pounds lost this year. That is AWESOME!

Marie, glad to hear the asthma flare-up is subsiding and you've been able to walk the fur babies and get back on the bike again...not to mention skiing! Hope your pulmonary system continues to improve. Your quilts are gorgeous! You've got so much talent between quilting and stained glass!

Tera, I really hope the job situation stabilizes for you so that your stress level is manageable and you can find some joy in what you do. What a frustrating situation to find yourself in!

Gayle, congratulations on the new grandbaby! So glad you've been able to get out on your bike. Sounds like you've found some nice routes and parks, and an exercise that is kind to your body! It's great that you're able to include DH and Maddy - you're setting her up for a healthy lifestyle! :-)

I will seriously try to not be MIA for so long! Thanks for being patient with me! :-)

cals-1700 (160), exerc-none, veggies-none. Today was bookclub after work so I missed cooking and exercise. Oops. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better report. I have been successful so far at reducing my chocolates from six a day to 4 a day.

Gayle-Wow, I love your F&V list-awesome job. Good idea to break up the exercise to avoid straining your muscles. Slow and steady works.

Darcy-I love your posts. They're like little stories. Congrats on the great results on your doctor reports. I admire your ability to stick to your calorie total. Good goin'

Good evening all,

I hope I can keep up the good eating and exrecise ~ it seems sometimes like I sabotage myself. I get to the 207 (lowest I have been in a while) then I do something to mess it up (not a horrible big gain, but Grrrr at self ~ a gain) then have to work to lose it all over again.

Fruits/vegetables today ~ lettuce, celery, cucumber, carrots, tomato, mushrooms (my lunch salad), apple, orange, blueberries, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage. You all have been my inspiration for this. I think it helps to be able to have something positive to write, and helps me to see, that I do the right things part of the time.

Walked in the house 15 minutes this morning, then this afternoon, rode our bikes to 3 of the nearby parks ~ 60 minutes.

Just had to share, from before dinner today......hahaha....Guess calories really ARE evil! :-)

Hello all,

The day just kind of flew by. One of those days ~ just kind of puttering around doing little stuff. Looking for something, and one thing led to another as I straightened up the area where I had been looking.

We have had Maddie overnight the last few nights (mama had to go out of town for work) and have been getting up early (6:30) am to get her ready and on the bus. I guess those early mornings caught up with me ~ I layed back down and slept another couple hours ~ I guess that is why the day was short.

I missed the morning house walk, and hoped to go on a bike ride again (another beautiful day here) or an afternoon house walk, but got to working on a project and before I knew it, it was time to fix supper.

Fruit/vegies today: Lettuce, celery, cucumber, tomato, carrots, mushrooms, beans, apple, blueberries, strawberry, raisins, cranberries.

cals-2835 (1570), exerc-none. Today was a very bad day calorie wise. No reason except it is very easy for me to do when I ignore good common sense and eat any goodie that happens to cross my path. I have a whole bunch of food events coming up over the next two weeks. I will just have to be more sensible. F&V: Orange, lettuce, cauliflower, tomatoes and a pear.

cals-1310 (160), exerc-step class at the Y. F&V: orange, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, cauliflower and carrots. Very good results today. Of course, I am still stuffed from the weekend but hey, at least I am staying away from the leftovers for a change.

Marie-Good Job Girl! Your calories are great. I understand the challenge of sharing dinner with DH. I can never convince my husband to eat light dinners and to make it worse, he likes to go out to eat. When I get motivated enough, I can make it work but it can be difficult.

Good evening,

Had a nice bike ride on Friday ~ beautiful day. Rode for almost 2 hours ~ not all in one chunk ~ stopping off at some parks along the way for Maddie to play a while. Did not get any exercise in on Sunday or today. Saturday was errands, so I guess maybe I could count that ~ an all day undertaking with walking at each stop.

Eating ~ some days pretty good, other days ~ not as good. Up and down that same 2 or 3 pounds.

Today, gave in to stress eating. Don't even really know why I felt stressed. Maddie was a little wound up when she came home from school, but eventually settled down and we had fun. It was a wonderful day with her compared to some we've had. But even though it was a good day, I can't explain it ~ why I felt so on edge and nervous. I ate a few things I would have been better off not to have, but not as bad as I have been sometimes.

Tomorrow is another day.

cals-1830 (710),exer-body sculpt class at the Y, F&V:grapefruit, carrot, lettuce. So-so day. I was weak in the office coffee room due to a home baked goodie.

Gayle-Pat yourself on the back for all the things you are doing right. WooHoo!

cals-2890 (1080), ex-body sculpt at the Y. Whoa, kinda ridiculous calories but easy for me to do-lunch at a Mexican restaurant with son (1000 cals), wine with dinner (200)and I made cookies (300) to take to work tomorrow plus a reasonable breakfast and dinner. I do not see things improving this weekend but maybe if I keep posting I can convince myself this is not a good idea.

Marie-I think walking is great exercise for both the mind and spirit.

Happy Easter! Hope yours was fun.

Cals-2100 (850), exerc-short walk. I only ate one meal today and I am still stuffed. Great meal though.

Good evening,

Hope you all have had a nice Easter Sunday.

It was a nice weekend. Ran errands yesterday. Today, got a surprise visit from DGS Corbin, then later DD Sara invited us over for supper. I didn't do too badly with the foods. Had a bowl of ice cream, one chocolate chip cookie and 5 of those bite size little candy bars (one of each flavor). Might sound like a lot, but considering what I am capable of, that wasn't so bad.

Exercise ~ for yesterday, I counted the walking while shopping ~ often we would park at one end of the parking lot, then walk to the stores we wanted to go to in that shopping center without getting in the car each time and moving to the next one. Then today ~ short little bike ride to Sara's and back. It was a beautiful evening.

cals-2115 (450), exerc-long walk. F&V: spinach, strawberries, carrot. I will need to keep working on lowering the calorie total.

Gayle-One chocolate chip cookie-excellent restraint! That's not easy.

Tera ~ confession here. I wish I did have such good self control. Truth is ~ I do ok when other people are around ~ it is when I am alone that me and food get into trouble :o