Aloha chicas --

For some reason, I woke up dizzy this morning, to the point of not wanting to stand up for too long. I've been sleeping on and off for four hours now, and feel a little better. Still, I think I'll be spending most of the rest of today in bed. I have no clue what this dizziness is about. I don't have any other symptoms. It might be happening because I haven't been drinking enough water. I don't know.

Visit with the pets yesterday was definitely a mood-lifter.

Tomorrow will be my first weigh-in after about a month and a half.

Lots of people have been curious about what comes next as far as the bar exam is concerned... well, basically, right now I am chilling until I start a bar exam review course on December 27. The course is a private test prep course that nearly everybody takes in order to prepare for the bar exam. In the meantime, the board of bar examiners will review my application and see whether I'm fit to take the bar -- am I a bank robber? Serial killer? Cereal killer? They will notify me whether I'm allowed to sit for the exam in early February. Then, come the hopefully well-fated third Tuesday and Wednesday of the month, I'll take the exam. It will be months before I find out whether I pass. After I take the exam, though, Hubby and I no longer need to live near Hololulu. That's when we'll decide what island we want to live on, what kinds of jobs we want, and so forth. I don't know when I'll start applying for legal jobs. Unless you get a job straight out of law school, employers pretty much only hire people who've passed the bar. I've been stressing over jobs for the past two years, and the stress took a toll on me, so at the moment I'm not trying to think about job hunting. Don't worry, y'all will be reading crazed, neurotic posts from me once I start looking for legal employment again. :)

***
Rosie -- Congratulations on losing four pounds! Good luck reaching your new "decade" of 320's.

Joy -- Good for you for your green day. :) Heh heh, I love Law and Order. I volunteered with a prosecutor's office and a public defender's office, so I've seen both sides of criminal law. Once I had a kick-butt job interview, and I went back to my hotel room that night, and I watched about three episodes of Law and Order on cable. :p I was so pumped! :lol: No, I didn't get the job, but that memory is kind of funny...

Julie -- Glad the presentation went well. Sorry to hear about Nikai. I'll have my husky send up a howl for him.

Elisha -- Hey, stop worrying about the scale! Didn't you just lose 6 lbs. or something from when you had that bit of a gain? A seven-ounce fluctuation from one day to the next is not huge!

Birdiegirl -- Congrats on another pound gone.
***

Triggers: Definitely emotion. I've been wanting to pig out ever since Hubby left. And this morning, with my dizzy spell, I wanted some kind of treat to feel better. I'm having success avoiding junk food because I don't want to spend money on it, and today I'm in no shape to walk or drive anywhere to buy it!

At least the windows are open in my room, and I can enjoy the breeze.

Hi Everyone :wave: Thanks for all the well wishes :thanks:

TBJ ... If you're still feeling that way tomorrow get yourself some medical help.... dizzyness is nothing to take lightly.

{{{{{{Julie}}}}}}... so sorry about your puppy.... I know my chow is 16 and I'm dreading the day my decision comes. Right now she's deaf ... have to really be careful not to sneak up on her ... she gets easily startled. I'll try for 45 minutes exercise tomorrow... today there was only time for 30 minutes for a WW video this morning. Tomorrow will be 30 with Leslie and I'll try my toning routine for the extra 15 minutes.

Elisha ... Keep up the good work ... it'll show sooner or later. Your determination really keeps me motivated.... did you know that?

Not much time .... Without a Trace in on in a couple of minutes.... (chuckle for me when you read today's tip. I'm definately guilty of both. Tuesday when I e-bikes I did it to Much Musics Motor Mouth Show. What a laugh it was... have you seen it.... people singing to the radio in their cars get set up with a microphone by their friends.

Anyways here's Tip #34 (I think)

If you keep skipping the exercise part of your schedule, this tip is for you: Trade your TV or computer time for exercise. If you spend an hour or more per day relaxing in front of either of these screens, that's an hour you could be improving your health and burning calories! So turn off that box, and get moving!

:grouphug:

Hello All!

Well, we have snow. So far, the roads have been decent, which is really all I care about.....and the snow is really quite lovely out here in the country!

Julie.....I am so sorry to hear you had to put Nikai down. Our animals give us the closest thing to unconditional love we will get in this life, and it is so difficult to let them go. :hug:

Joy....Ok, you got the color picked out for your bathrom? I still haven't put my brushes and rollers away, so I could just pack up and be there this weekend.....k? I love your 'no eating after 8pm', and will try to make that my goal also. A cup of tea sounds good right about now.

Elisha.....You just keep fighting the good fight.....and stay off that scale!

TBJ......How long will your hubby be gone? I am sure he is missing you as much as you miss him. Hope you have called the landlady to repair that lamp....we don't need any more accidents!

Rosie....You lost over 4 pounds! I am so proud of you! You are doing such a phenomenal job....keep up the good work!

Birdiegirl.....I have a commute to work too......30 miles one way.....Monday thru Friday! And yes, it can drag some days....and somedays it is downright enjoyable. I take my bottle of water with me (both ways), so I accomplish that. Check out the library for 'books on tape' and they make the time go faster too.

I came home from work today and found that DH had made supper...... a rolled beef roast, potatoes and onions, broccoli and french bread, and apple pie for dessert! It was absolutely delicious! What a sweetheart!

Oops! Almost forgot to update my exercise minutes......30 minutes yesterday and another 30 minutes tonight (when is this going to get easier?)....that brings the total for 140/240 ! I just may make my goal this time!

Tgif
 

Morning chickies...
I really don't have a lot to say this morning...WHAT???, you say? Julie with not much to say???

Yesterday and the day before were not good food days. Comfort food all the way for me. I was supposed to have a scrapbooking party last night but between the mood in this house :cry: the nasty weather and the fact that I probably wasn't going to have but one person here for it...I cancelled it. DH made comfort food for supper last night...mashed potatoes, hamburger gravy & corn! I did ok until then yesterday with my usual b-fast of Slim Fast and lunch of chicken & green beans (and 1/2 taquito...those things could be addicting!). Snack yesterday was a serving (I counted them) of Wheat Thins. But then...after supper...I shared a bag of microwave popcorn with DD, ate a snack sized candy bar, had some spinach dip and crackers...and certainly didn't drink enough water (I'm thirsty this morning!)

I can't seem to motivate myself to get on the e-bike this week. I did it Monday and after that...just haven't wanted to! I know I need to...and I like your quote, Joy! Very appropriate for me! I often consider that as I type here and watch tv at night. I have been spending way too much time on the couch lately after supper! I need to find a more productive use for my time!

I don't have much more to say...I do find all your posts motivating, though...just wish my body would agree with my head... :dizzy:

Thanks for all the well wishes about our Husky, Nikai. He was a wonderful companion...seems wierd not to have to take care of him this morning. But on a positive note, DH got our other Husky, Tasha groomed yesterday, so her half blown out coat is gone and now she can come inside to be with us! YEA!
I've attached a couple of pictures of both dogs. The black & white one (with 3 legs) is the one that isn't here anymore! :( The other one is Tasha!

Hugs to all!

100 Snacks under 100 calories
 

The number listed after the food is the amount of calories. Feel free to add any others you can think of!

½ cup fresh blueberries 45
1 sesame breadstick 42
3 cups plain popcorn 23
1 whole ripe tomato or ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes 33
1 small banana 81
5 saltine crackers 60
1 medium apple 80
½ plain bagel (small 2 oz) 83
Celery sticks (10 small) 20
Frozen juice bar 75
1 large dill pickle 15
1 medium orange 77
1 cup puffed wheat cereal 43
1 hard boiled egg 81
½ medium grapefruit 38
1 cucumber 10
1 cup vegetable juice 50
½ English muffin, with 1 tsp. Peanut butter 95
1 ¼ cups whole strawberries 60
2 oz. water packed tuna 70
1 string cheese stick 72
1 medium ear corn on cob, dusted with Creole seasoning 80
1 small baked potato 80
½ cup stewed tomatoes 36
1 whole fresh peach 37
1 slice whole grain toast 85
1 cup skim milk 90
6 oz. non fat, sugar free yogurt 86
7 medium fresh shrimp 70
½ cup fruit cocktail, in own juice 60
½ cup red raspberries 41
8 dried apricot halves 60
½ cup raw cauliflower 14
1 medium tangerine or 2 small clementines 37
1 cup green tea with 2 tsp. sugar 30
17 fresh grapes (frozen for a hot weather treat) 52
10 almonds 70
½ cup apple cider 58
1 cup cantaloupe cubes 48
2 Tbsp. dried cranberries (Craisins) 45
2 cups watermelon cubes 84
50 small pretzel sticks 60
½ cup pineapple chunks, in own juice 64
1 cup fresh cherries 65
3 dried, orange flavored prunes 60
½ cup Corn Bran cereal 82
1 cup grapefruit juice 65
½ cup gelatin 82
1 cup gelatin (sugar free) 16
½ cinnamon raisin English muffin 75
1 cup minestrone soup 83
8 baked tortilla chips with 3 Tbsp. salsa 93
20 peanuts 90
½ cup raw baby carrots 25
½ cup low fat cottage cheese 70
3 graham cracker squares 80
3 oz., “kiddie size” frozen yogurt (96% fat free) 78
1 cup Cheerios 88
1/3 cup vegetarian baked beans 78
6 pieces Melba toast 75
1 ounce honey turkey 32
4 Hershey kisses 98
3 dried whole dates 68
½ cup sugar free pudding made with skim milk 80
½ cup fat free refried beans 80
8 animal crackers 90
1 cup tossed salad (mixed lettuce greens, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.) with 1 Tbs. dressing 83
1/2 cup split pea soup 67
2 small plums 60
15 Teddy Graham crackers 82
2 Tbs. hummus spread on 1/4 pita pocket bread 93
½ large red, yellow or green bell pepper, cut into strips 20
5 Saltine crackers 60
1 small banana 60
2 Tbsp. Sunflower seeds 90
1 small baked sweet potato 59
2 Tbsp. raisins 60
1 fig bar 53
4 Brazil nuts 93
2 pieces Wasa crispbread 50
1 medium pear 98
6 oz. calcium fortified orange juice 84
½ cup three bean salad 90
1 sugar free Popsicle 20
20 pistachio nuts 70
3 gingersnaps 89
2 Tbs. light cream cheese, on 2 medium celery sticks 67
½ cup corn flakes with ½ cup skim milk 98
½ cup oatmeal 73
30 Goldfish crackers 70
½ cup vanilla ice milk 92
Sugar-free hot cocoa mix, made with 4 oz. skim milk plus water 95
1 medium kiwi fruit 46
1 oz. jalapeno jack cheese 90
1 frozen pudding bar, not chocolate covered 80
½ cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal 80
1 oz. Canadian bacon 40
2 Tbsp. soybean nuts 97
½ grapefruit 37

Morning chickies!

I'm not feeling very good this morning. My sore throat just keeps getting worse and worse, and this morning my head feels full of ick. Bleh.

Yesterday was ok. Water was good, I forget my tally exactly but I had at least 116 oz. Calories came in around 997. I know that's low, and I honestly didn't do it on purpose. I just wasn't in the mood to eat a lot at dinner, and then I didn't want to eat right before bed. I got in 45 minutes of Y!F with an upper body focus. It wasn't a very hard workout though, at least not the cardio part. But this morning I can tell I worked my arms!

The scale is still at 213.4 this morning. I think the stupid thing is broken. But then I remind myself that I *was* at 214.8, so 213.4 is still an improvement, and I AM being healthier now, so the weight will have to come off eventually. I just have to be patient.

It helped this morning when I put on my jeans and they seemed a bit looser. I don't know that they are, really, because they're stretch jeans and they're supposed to fit rather snug, but it makes me happy to think they are looser, so that's what I'm thinking! I need happy thoughts today!

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are good today. Dinner is Burger King for the birthday party. I'm ordering a Whopper Jr. with no cheese and no mayo, small fries, and a diet coke. This meal actually comes to about 60 calories more than just their grilled chicken sandwich. I don't think I'll have any cake tonight, as the thought of that much sugar is making me queasy. But I might bring a piece home, just so I don't seem rude, and hope that someone else eats it.

Today is my day off from exercise, and my body is thankful for that! And I get to sleep in tomorrow! YAY!!! I can't wait. Two more workouts and it's time for my next Physical Challenge. I really do think I'll see some more progress this time. I'm actually excited about it now. Seeing progress like that is a wonderful motivator!

In other news, the house inspector and someone from the bank are both supposed to see our house on Monday. Can I just say I *love* this new realtor?! She is on the ball! I'm glad to see things moving along.

Julie: Your dogs are beautiful! At least you still have Tasha--take advantage of that and show her some extra love! She is grieving too!
I suggest doing what Joy is doing--put that bike in front of the tv so you have no excuse not to exercise. And tell that daughter of yours what you intend to do, I'm sure she'll keep you on track!

MsRD: You're doing great on exercise! Keep it up! We'll make our challenge goals this time for sure! It was snowing here all day yesterday, but none of it stayed on the ground. It's sure cold enough though! Brrr! It seems like everyone had meals made for them last night... except me, Mom didn't even get anything out of the freezer to defrost. :rolleyes:

Joy: I did chuckle when I read that tip! That's a good way to do it though, if it gets you moving! Whatever works, right? I'm glad I'm helping keep you motivated!

TBJ: Try eating something with ginger for the dizziness, and some protein. I have vertigo, so I get dizzy a lot (practically every time I move). Put a smidge of ginger in your tea, heck, even ginger cookies help. Honest.
Good luck on your weigh-in!

Birdie: Congrats on the loss! YAY! I have a commute too (about 30 miles each way), so I know where you're coming from. I usually grab a frozen dinner for lunch, they're generally fairly well-balanced meals. Or you can make your own on the weekends so you have them on hand to grab on your way out the door.

OK, that's it for me. I'm going to drink some tea and hope I feel a little less icky. Have a wonderful day, chickies!
~Elisha

Exercise Challenge 11-14 to 11-20
 

Minutes are listed Actual/Goal

MsRD: 140/240
TBJ: 40/140
Elisha: 120/180
Julie: 25/160
Joy: 180/240

Total: 505/960

Morning everyone --

I'm going to spend the night tonight in the other apartment, where I don't have internet access yet. So thought I would post quickly to say hi to all y'all. I'll weigh in when I get there...

***
Joy -- Thanks for your concern. The dizziness went away in the early afternoon, and then this morning I felt fine. I drank a lot of water yesterday, and I think that helped.

MsRD -- Ooo! Post a pic of the pretty snow. :) It's beautiful when it lands lighly on bare tree branches. Hubby will be gone only three more weeks...

Julie -- Tasha is such a sweetheart!

Elisha -- Well, the dizziness is gone, but I jus might have to stock up on some ginger cookies. Just in case... you never know... maybe I'll start taking them prophylactically... :p Feel better.
***

See ya!

Well, it's my last official day of vacation today. Part of me is ready to go back to work, but part of me isn't. Luckily next week is just a 3 day week for me because of Thanksgiving.

DH and I usually trade off each year as far as whose family we celebrate the holidays with. This year is his year, but the other day my mom called and said that no one can make it to her Thanksgiving this year! It's usually all my cousins, their families, and my aunt and gramma. One cousin is a firefighter, and he has to work. Another cousin just got a new puppy, and it's too soon to leave it. Another cousin is in Florida trying to build a new home. And the last cousin's wife's parents are separating, so they want to be with them. That just leaves my aunt and gramma. So, I got next Friday off, and we'll at least spend the weekend with them.

Exercise has been great. I really like the "Crunch Cardio Salsa" DVD. It's the most fun way to sweat without getting pregnant! (Gosh, I should write ad slogans...) Ok, maybe that is an exaggeration, but it is a more intense workout in a little less time than my Leslie DVD.

I found out I was doing myself more harm than good with my 4 servings of fruit goal. I'm not officially hypoglycemic, but my blood sugar is lower than most people, so I was advised that following a hypoglycemic diet would be a good idea, if not strictly necessary. Well, the natural sugar in fruit makes it so I shouldn't have more than 2 servings a day. Info on low blood sugar is so hard to find! It's only because I had a co-worker who was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and who gave me copies of the stuff she got from her doctor that I even have a clue as to what to do about it.

My attention span is kind of wonky this week. I'll try to come back later for comments when my brain settles down.

P.S. -- Here is the blog that Hubby and I made in order to keep in touch with people on the mainland:

http://www.livejournal.com/~likelikehighway

Very cool blog! Thanks for sharing...I left you a comment! :)

Thanks!

Just checking in to say that I lost .6 lb. :) I did 30 minutes of exercise today, so I'm up to 70/140.

Cheers!

Happy Saturday!

I was up with the birds this morning.....the one morning I get to sleep in and I can't! Grrrr. I did my reluctant 30 minutes with Leslie last night......that brings the exercise total to 170/240.....this goal is going to be a close one!

Julie.....Sometimes you need a little comfort food - especially after the week you have had! But today is another day and we need to get up and moving.....I have the tazer at the ready if I don't sense some cooperation here! :s: Thanks for the picture of Tasha.....absolutely beautiful!

Elisha.....Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. I guess it is just that time of year.....finally am getting over my cold after nearly 2 weeks! If you keep getting worse, get thee to a doctor.....we don't want you sick for the holidays!

TBJ.....Glad you are feeling better.....and you saw that scale go down too! Good job! Have you found an exercise (jujitsu?) place yet? That really sounds so interesting.....can you tell I am getting a little tired of WATP?

Betani.....Wow....good thing you discovered the too many fruits/ hypoglycemic diet just doesn't go well together! Maybe you should substitute veggies?

Rosie....hope you are having a great weekend!

Joy....Great exercise tip! I tend to crash in front of the TV at night....and watch anything that is there.....gotta get up and exercise and accomplish something!

Thanksgiving dinner is at my house on Thursday and I better get busy cleaning house and getting some groceries!

Morning chickies!

Quick update from me.

Calories were high yesterday--1957. I didn't win the battle with the birthday cake. It's kind of hard to refuse when they hand you a piece, shove a spoon in the cake, then physically put your hand on the spoon... gotta love my friends. But I stuck to my meal plan other than the cake, so it wasn't too bad. Water... I don't remember. And no exercise, as planned. This morning the scale says 212.0. Yippee!

I got in my first Avon order, so I get to sort that out today.

Breakfast this morning was a bit heavy, so I'll keep lunch pretty light. Dinner is the Asian barbeque chicken that I actually mixed up to marinate last night. Easy peasy! I love trying new recipes! I just hope it tastes as good as it smells!

Steve is taking me to see Harry Potter tonight. I'm excited! This is my *favorite* one!

I'll get in my 30 minutes of Y!F today, but probably not until this evening, because Steve will be sleeping in here.

OK, I'll take more time to update tomorrow. Hope you're all having a great weekend!
~Elisha

Just saying hello. Not much to report. I hope to write to you all each tomorrow.

Take Care,

Rosie