Featherweights Planning and Chat Oct 22-28
 

Good morning Featherweights! and top o'a new week to ya!

This morning, my rotation is just like sooo many others on Earth. I had the weekend off and UGH! it's Monday already. The alarm disturbed a pretty deep sleep.
Luckily, I had most of yesterday to muse my food for this week. I've got a few things ready and some other things planned. If I wedge in a few walks and a couple of lifting sessions ... it'll be a good week.

What's up with you?

Morning Susan, everyone!

My 'rents are still visiting, but I'm determined not to let it disrupt my gym time. So far, so good. Yesterday the 5 of us went for a gorgeous hike. It wasn't far, maybe 3 miles tops, and we didn't exactly break any speed records because we were busy looking at all the wonderful eye-treats that a sunny day in fall in upstate NY can bring. But, we did ascend about 600 feet, which has to count for something!

I'm off to make The Boy's lunch. Have a great morning, everyone!

Kim

Ughh, I feel your pain Susan!!! I too enjoyed having my weekend to sleep and relax. I sure had a hard time getting up this morning :(

Kaw - sounds like a beautiful hike!! I love hiking!

Well, I hope everybody has a great week!

22-28
 

Good morning all! Had a very successful last week, and am still right on track where i want to be.

Started adding in :running: and :barbell: yesterday and am hoping both will make a difference since i need to tone BADLY.

SW: 167
CW: 155
Mini goal: 149

One :running: for every mile this week.
:running::running::running::running:

Thinnythighs~if you're thinking about turning your walking into running, try the Couch to 5k (c25k) program from coolrunning.com. I did and I'm amazed at the fact that I can actually run 1 or 2 miles without stopping! Here I am, 44, and I had never run before! I was one of those kids that got winded half way around the high school track and thought I'd just die if I went further! Now if only my knees weren't so old--I do get some aches the day after running.

DD came home from her weekend in Long Beach (and just in time--those fires could have caused problems for her getting home). Anyway, she had such stories to tell. First and foremost she said that Cal State Long Beach is NOT ever going to be on her list of schools to attend. She said it is too much of a party school and she doesn't want that. Then she went on to talk about going to her friend's brother's apartment where she met up with a bunch of kids that graduated last year. Then her friend went to a party and she stayed back at the apartment with her friend's roommate because the roommate was too drunk to go to the party. She had to tell me all about this poor drunk girl and how funny it was to watch her try to play Wii video games. The point here is that DD has no desire whatsoever to party or to drink. I guess I've done a good job raising her!!!

Okay, gotta run. Have a great week!

Good morning everyone! I overslept and missed working out this morning, but I have plenty of time tonight, so I'm not worried about it. Ideally, I'd like to try to do 20 mins cardio in the morning just to get myself going, and 20 mins of some light resistance work (I'm partial to the "Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom" DVD by Minna Lessig). Then in the evening, another 30-60 mins or cardio and however much light resistance as the TV I want to watch.

It is SO nice to be on a project where I have the time to do all this - my last project I was working 80-95 hours/week, which never left me with time to do anything healthy unless I forced myself to get up ridiculously early. It is so nice to have a little safety net if I want to sleep in.

Haven't really planned my food yet for the week, or even for the night, but I'm thinking of making some kind of miso soup maybe with a bit of grilled salmon on the side? I'm on a bit of a Japanese food kick lately, which is fairly healthy. And I'm starting to learn various ways to cook tofu! Will have to go check out the food forum for some more tips on that.

Happy Monday everyone!

I'm back!
 

The fat fairy is alive and well in NYC - zapped me with 3 extra lbs. But that's what happens on vacation so I'm back on track today with the usual (if it ain't broke don't fix it) writing down of everything consumed and calculating calories.

I actually ate quite healthily in NYC for brekkie. Because the weather was so warm lunch was usually a sandwich/salad combo and I think the sandwiches had mucho calories even though I picked things like turkey on whole grain etc. Dinners were quite varied (the food, the food, how to choose?) but I skipped desserts and afternoon coffee thingies most days.

Did indulge in a couple of very decadent chocolate bars and a peanut butter filled doughnut fresh and warm from the deep fryer at the Doughnut Factory for brekkie one day (that was probably two lbs. right there but sooo good).

There were lots of of fresh food markets wehre I was staying so I ate a lot of fruit for snacks. Bought fruit from carts on the street uptown too.

And Duane Reade for diet Pepsi - right on "my" corner.

Dagmar

New York is kind of like the best and worst of dieting extremes. There are lots of place to get good, healthy food... but also SO many places to completely wreck whatever diet you are on. Unfortunately, it always seems to me like not a lot of places have both, so when I go out to eat with friends, I inevitably declare that my one "cheat meal" for the week and don't waste too much time dwelling on it. However, that does mean I have to keep my meals out with friends pretty limited (or start being more aggressive in our decisions of where to eat).

Glad you enjoyed your time here, Dagmar!

Morning. Hi Dagmar, glad you had a great trip.

SW: 167
CW: 154
Mini goal: 149

BMI: 24.9 ( finally ).

i've been busting my *** ( literally ) like never before to get this weight off once and for all. i've never worked out so hard, but it's paying off.

Failure is not an option.

Way to go, thinnythighs! Congrats on getting the BMI below 25.

Scenestealer: I know what you mean about NYC, except in my mind there are a lot fewer places that sell tasty-looking healthy food than sell tasty-looking unhealthy food. I think I got spoiled after living in areas where produce isn't quite so limp or expensive. Yes, you have the Garden State nearby, but, let's face it, the produce in NYC pales in comparison -- and is pale -- to produce that is truly locally grown and doesn't have to travel across miles of polluted freeways/surface streets to get to the store.

I did stumble across one intriguing restaurant: The Pump, on west 55th between 5th & 6th (also has locations on W 38th, E 21st, E 31st, and E 50th.) It's a takeout eatery geared toward bodybuilders, so the portions were huge, but at least they contained lots of lean proteins, etc. Ever eaten there?

Me, I'm just back from a work meeting at which we were given free reign of the breakfast buffet. I ate eggs, fruit, cottage cheese, smoked salmon, and drank far too many cups of coffee. This is way more food than I'm accustomed to having in the morning; for some strange reason, breakfasts like this always make me want to eat all day. Uggh. Worse yet, the meeting was scheduled during my gym time. Double Uggh!

Kim

I'm back from my conference and our post-conference trip to Joshua Tree and, just like Dagmar, working on losing the weight that I gained. This morning I came it at under the weight listed in my profile, so I at least I don't have to change that. But I still have 4 lbs to go to get back to my pre-Conference weight (yes, I managed to gain 6 lbs in only a week and a half :fr: -- that's a lot of calories!)

I also managed to injure my knee when running on the Sunday before my conference. I don't know what I did--same shoes, exact same route, usual time and didn't feel any pain during the run. But that afternoon I could barely bend my knee to go downstairs (going upstairs was no problem). Then with the conference, I had to be on it all day (I swear, I must have walked the length of that stupid hotel 20 times a day), so that didn't help. Then I thought it was better so I ran sprints on the treadmill the following Saturday, which seemed to lead to an ankle injury (either that or it was the 15 min walk on 15% incline on Sunday). Either way, I could barely walk my ankle on Sunday afternoon (I'm sure the plane trip down to Palm Springs didn't help--planes always make my legs ache). This really put a krimp in our hiking plans for Joshua Tree, but we did manage to find some relatively easy trails to do. It's also putting a krimp in my getting back into shape after over a week off. I'm swimming this week instead of doing my regular cardio. Next week I hope to add back in the elliptical. Not sure when I'll be able to run again, which is really a bummer because I really felt great for the run on Sunday that started this whole mess.

Dagmar: OMG--A peanut butter filled doughnut! I'm in love! :hungry: :love:

Kaw: I'm the same way. A big breakfast always makes me want to eat more. I saw that Pump place when I was in NYC last year. It did seem interesting; if I'm remembering it correctly, they had nutritional info listed on the menu which always impresses me. But we didn't have time to try it (and I'm not sure I could have convinced my SO to eat there anyway--he's not really into the body builder diet.)

Scenestealer: I've never been able to figure out tofu. Mine always seems to come out soggy and bland.

The Pump in NYC
 

I was going to eat at the Pump. Checked out the menu - extensive - and some reviews on line. The reviews weren't too favorable - bland, dry food - but I thought I'd try it. I wasn't sure how much "healthy" food :carrot: was available so it looked like a good choice.

I was outside one location (midtown somewhere?) when a group of rather thin, fit-loooking people exited. They were ALL complaining :( about the food they had just eaten. So I gave it a pass.

I found the produce in NYC whole foods markets to be quite fresh. And since my yardstick for comparison is southern Ontario, where we still actually grow stuff, I was pleasantly surprised, by the fruit particularly. Ate small fruit salads most mornings which had a variety of things in them. Yummy!

And considerably less damaging than the PB donut :devil:

Dagmar

The Pump sounds intriguing... I may check it out one of these days.

I just got done with an incredible workout. Headed down to the gym to do the elliptical while I watched Biggest Loser, and did about 4 miles in 45 mins, at a pretty tough setting (hill climb). I was pretty tired after that, but also feeling really motivated after watching BL, so I decided I would do one mile on the treadmill. And WOW. I did my fastest mile ever!!! I thought I was going to be sick at the end, but I was proud to go so fast. Big accomplishment for me, who is the tortoise of all runners (yet can go long distances because slow and steady gets you through).

Scenestealer- i'm the same way about being the tortoise of all runners. If i'm walking ( even fast paced ), it seems like i can go on forever and not be winded. When it comes to out and out running, i just can't do it yet. My muscles hurt too badly.

Made meatloaf and mashed potatoes for DH last night and could not help having a small portion of both. At least i didn't overdo it like i would have in the past. Was worried at what the scale would read this am, but have maintained, so i'm comfortable with it. No walking yesterday because frankly it was just too darn cold, but will do at least another mile today. Still on track and heading towards my mini goal of 149.

Along those lines, how long does it take for a non-diet meal to show up on the scale? For example, let's say I eat a bag of potato chips. Those aren't actually heavy per se, but they will convert to fat and then eventually show up the scale. How long does that process take?

Scenestealer: I don't think there's a simple answer to that question. Our bodies evolved to adapt to quite a bit of short-term fluctuation in calories (either up or down), so much so that there's no deterministic formula for calculating how any one food or meal is going to affect weight, let alone when. Even the 3500 cals/pound estimate is just that, an estimate. Add in the water retention factor and even less deterministic.

The body's ability to adapt, at least in the short term, can be frustrating to the dieter. (Luckily, we're all in it for the long term!) But, it's also pretty amazing & cool, when you think about it.

Kim

Thinnythighs: I made meatloaf the other night with 95% lean beef, a medium egg to bind it, a handful (1/4 cup?) of oat bran for body, onions, and spices. I drained off the fat after baking instead of letting it sit in the "juices." It was moist (although perhaps not as moist as if I'd made it with 80% beef) and tasty, and didn't come with a side of guilt.

The mashed potatoes are harder, I think. Mom's mashed taters have butter, milk, and mayo, along with nutmeg or garlic, salt, and pepper. Every substitution or healthier recipe I've tried tastes bland and lifeless by comparison. I'd rather skip 'em altogether. (I've always been ambivalent about white potatoes, anyway.)

Mmmm, dinner....

Kim

I put a bit of beef broth and HP sauce into whatever non-meat ingredient (usually ww bread) I'm using in meat loaf and it comes out nice and juicy :D. Good idea with the draining after baking - will have to try that.

I generally make oven roasted potatoes instead of mashed - toss them with a bit of olive oil and rosemary and bake them along with the loaf.

Now I'm hungry again - just had a low cal dinner. Time to go and fold grocery bags for dog poop - such a glamorous job that I have! :p

Dagmar :dance: (is it a dancing potato?)

My meatloaf (you guys are making me HUNGRY!) is made with the leanest possible ground beef (about 1.5-2 pounds) and 1 pound of ground pork. I add an egg (sometimes just egg white) and breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. If it appears dry, I stir in a little ketchup (but not usually).

the other day, I did a southwest meatloaf that was full of onions, peppers and seasonings. I didn't cut the vegetables enough and it kind of fell apart, but my kids loved the flavor and voted for me to make that one again (it's a cooking light recipe).

As for mashed potatoes, I usually cop out and use dry (that way there are only 4 servings!), but if I make it myself it is full of milk, butter and sour cream (I make those for Thanksgiving or Christmas ONLY). I really like small red potatoes cooked in the microwave. You can take one or a few and do what ever you want (mash, cut and season, drown in butter, etc.--to each his own).

There is a fantastic recipe for relatively healthy meatloaf in "Eat, Shrink and Be Merry"...everybody has always loved it when I've made it!

I'm doing alright over here...TOM is visiting, but surprisingly, I haven't been having as many cravings (last week or this week) as usual! I don't know what is different, but I like it! That said, I also haven't registered a whole lot of loss this week yet, probably because of water retention etc...thats okay though, mostly I'm focusing on eating well. I'm hoping to be down to a solid 138 at the end of the week! I've decided that my mini goal is going to be 135, at which point I will try to maintain for a few weeks. I find reaching a mini goal, and maintaining for a while helps me shock my body into losing more weight when I start cutting calories again.

This is going to be a stressful week for me...I have a midterm on Friday that's going to be really tough. Last year, the average on that particular midterm was 45% :( Friday is also the last day of experiments for my thesis, so I need to finish everything up, and hopefully get some good results!

Hey all.

I'm sick. :( Which means I'm eating horrible, (but oh-so delicious) comfort foods. Hot chocolate, tomato soup with mac'n'cheese, a grilled cheese.... hmmm.

But it was so sweet, yesterday I was telling my good friend J how sick I was feeling and how all I wanted was some junky-sugary Tim Horton's hot chocolate, and like 20min later he shows up on our doorstep with hot chocolate for me and my roommate A (who is also getting sick). Ahhh, isn't he the sweetest?

In other news I turned 20 yesterday. Two decades old, man oh man how time is flying. And I hear time just goes faster. :)

Steibena - good luck with your exams. Don't let the stress get to you too much.

dagmar - those potatoes sounds delicious. yum.

Alright I must be off to study for my two upcoming midterms. AHH! But on friday I get to party. :D Yes.

All this talk of meatloaf reminded me: an inning or two ago, the announcer showed a picture of the Challenge Burger from Eagle's Deli near Boston College: 5 lbs. of hamburger, 20 slices of cheese, 20 slices of bacon, bun, condiments, and 5 pounds of fries.

Just out of curiosity, I calculated the calories of this beast. Assuming the condiments on a burger that size includes about 1/4 c. of mayo, you're looking at 17,100 calories and 1136 g. of fat. Skip the fries and it's only 9,500 calories and 730 g. of fat.

Luckily, you get a "free" drink (i.e., included in the $60 price tag), so you can wash it all down with a diet coke. :lol:

I wonder how many people per year actually eat that thing by themselves. Per the earlier discussion, I wonder if their weight goes up measurably because of it (and not because of the salt on the fries).

Kim

PS. The same deli sells a quarter pounder with cheese: the Kiddie Burger.

lol Kim, that sounds disgusting!!!!

Cat - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! heehee, I'm only 3 years older than you, but as far as I can tell, time does go faster the older you get :p Thanks for the wishes of luck, and good luck with yours too! And feel better!!!!

My favorite meat loaf recipe is Asian-Style Meat Loaves from Cooking Light. They are very moist with a great flavor and come in at under 300 calories per serving. I have other recipes that come in even lower in terms of calories, the lowest is Turkey Mini Meat Loaves from Cooking Light, which come in at about 150 calories per serving. They aren't as good as the Asian-Style Meat Loaves, but I still make them occasionally just because they are so low in calories (and they aren't bad, they just aren't anything special).

Good morning. Yes, I've been a skimpy poster lately. However, a trip here this morning has me being accountable. I changed that thing over there <<<<

In my hunt for Maintainership ... I'm experimenting with Mediterranean foods and philosophy and French food philosophy. I suppose it's only natural to suffer some growing pains (pun intended) when experimenting with new plans.

I'm fascinated by the notions of celebrating what you have -or- blooming where you're planted. I'm disheartened by how the rest of the world views western excess.
Am I disheartened enough to watch my portions, spending etc? Hmmm ... we'll see.

SusanB - have you read French Women Don't Get Fat yet? I disagree with some of the things Mireille says (like, her "magical leek soup diet" that you're supposed to do for a few days... clearly not nutritious). However, I like the idea of going to the market every day to shop for that day's ingredients, and I like the idea that you really only enjoy the first few bites of any food, so you might as well make more dishes with smaller portion sizes (though I'm having trouble sticking to that particular one). The idea of going to the market every day was something that I at first thought could never work with my busy lifestyle, but now I actually do that and enjoy it.

I do a larger shopping trip on weekends, but I don't attempt to buy everything I need for the week - just basics that I know I'll need no matter what I make (onions, tomatos, milk, English muffins, etc). Then each day once I figure out what I'm going to make for dinner, I stop on the way home from work and pick up the proteins and specialty ingredients I need. I suppose it isn't practical if you live in a rural area where groceries are far away, but it definitely makes food shopping a lot less of a chore if you're just stopping on your way home to pick up a few items. I just have to be careful because after work I'm definitely hungry, and it's generally a bad idea to go food shopping when you're hungry, so I usually bring an extra apple to eat right before I leave, which helps.

Anyone else shop like this, or do most people do the big once a week grocery runs?

Originally Posted by kaw:
All this talk of meatloaf reminded me: an inning or two ago, the announcer showed a picture of the Challenge Burger from Eagle's Deli near Boston College: 5 lbs. of hamburger, 20 slices of cheese, 20 slices of bacon, bun, condiments, and 5 pounds of fries.

Just out of curiosity, I calculated the calories of this beast. Assuming the condiments on a burger that size includes about 1/4 c. of mayo, you're looking at 17,100 calories and 1136 g. of fat. Skip the fries and it's only 9,500 calories and 730 g. of fat.

DH and I saw this last night and we both said, "that's disgusting."

That Challenge Burger is disgusting. :barf: I don't know how one person eats 5 lbs of hamburger in one sitting. That's huge--that's like four or five of the standard packages of ground beef that you get at the store. And it probably isnt the 95% lean stuff, either!

Scenestealer--I do all my grocery shopping on Saturdays, stopping by the store every day just doesn't work for me. I work from home, so it would be an extra trip out; I can't just stop on my way home from work. Also, my preferred grocery stores (Trader Joe's and Safeway) are a 15-min drive away, so that's a half an hour driving every day if I shop every day (I don't live in a rural area, but I do live in the suburbs and things just aren't as convenient here as they are in a big city). Most week days, the only place I go is the gym, which is less than 5 min from my house and nowhere near my grocery stores. Also, I try to buy all my produce and fish at the farmers' market because it is far superior to what is sold at either of my grocery stores, but the farmers' market is only open on Saturday mornings. So on Saturdays, I do a run to the farmers market, Trader Joe's, Safeway, sometimes also Cost Plus and/or Target (luckily, except for the farmers' market, they are all in the same shopping center).

I walk to work w/out passing a grocery store and DH works at home, so shopping every day would mean an extra drive every day. No, thanks! We do, however, buy a lot of proteins in bulk, so going to the freezer in the AM is a bit like going to the store.

As for veggies, we usually have to make 2 trips to the store every week. We buy a mix of "eat immediately" and "will keep" vegetables each trip. I think next summer we'll try a CSA box, for taste and as part of a more general commitment to reduce our carbon and pesticide footprints. (Hope that's not too political!)

Kim

Originally Posted by kaw:
As for veggies, we usually have to make 2 trips to the store every week. We buy a mix of "eat immediately" and "will keep" vegetables each trip. I think next summer we'll try a CSA box, for taste and as part of a more general commitment to reduce our carbon and pesticide footprints. (Hope that's not too political!)

Kim

What is a CSA box please? I'm thinking about joining one of those co-op things where they deliver a box of organic produce to your door once a week. Is it similar to that?

Thaks,
Dagmar

Hi All!

So I'm not doing that well foodwise today, as I'm about 500 calories over for the day...but I guess that's not the end of the world. It just makes today a maintaining day rather than a losing day. Tomorrow will probably be similar as we're going out to celebrate BF's birthday. I'm not too worried though. I'm making better food choices and staying pretty well on track, so I know that I can get right back to it after tomorrow.

Dagmar - I have friends that use a program like that...its really neat! An organic farm that's nearby delivers a box full of produce to their house weekly.

I'm in a bad mood because I got a bad haircut yesterday... went to donate to Pantene Great Lengths (a program that makes wigs for kids with cancer). My hair was WAY more than long enough for the requisite 8 inch donation, and when they first took the donation it was shoulder length, and I was thrilled because I love my long hair. Then the stylist (and this was at a top NYC salon, I should add) just kept cutting and cutting, even though I told her that my biggest criteria were having as much length as possible and being able to pull it into a ponytail. Now, I have this trendy/edgy cut with the front about chin length and the back about shoulder length - it's almost like a mullet. I am SO upset... called the salon today and asked if they could have someone else fix it and even it out to a basic bob (they said maybe, and are going to call me back). I really don't want short hair because I need to be able to pull it back, but it just looks like a mess right now, and I hate having to go into work with it like this, because I feel like people won't take me seriously with a mophead. Can't decide whether I should just grow it out and deal with it for the next month or so that it will be a mess, or if I should cut it down so at least it's presentable in the meantime.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. On a more 3FC related note, I've been trying to channel my anger into exercise. Last night I couldn't get to the gym until 20 minutes before closing, but I did a quick 2 miles on the treadmill, and then this morning actually got myself up early enough to do another mile so that it kind of makes 30 mins for yesterday. Then tonight I swam laps for 30 mins, did a great lift for 20 mins, and also exercised along to the 20 min Tank Top Arms segment of a DVD. So, I guess there's a positive side to all of this.

Dagmar: CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you buy membership shares in a local farm in exchange for a share of the bounty. More from the USDA on it here: http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml.

In practice, CSA membership means that you get a weekly box of locally grown produce, usually organic (depends on the farm). Some CSA farms deliver to homes, others to a central pick-up spot, others not at all. Membership often gives you the right to go to the farm itself for u-pick, but that's going to depend on the farm, too.

We're going to split a box with some friends who live nearby at first, and see how it goes.

Kim

You gals have given me a light bulb moment again! What would I do without you :hug: It's about having a house full of groceries once a week or once every two weeks. I can pig out on anything ... junk food, good food ... don't matter.
Yes, I do do a bit of stopping in to the grocer to get something nice for tonight. Now, I'm seeing that it is an even better idea than I thought. I used to think it was vaguely decadent.

On the French Women books thing ... Yes, this is about the 4th or 5th book I've read in that sort of line of thinking. There's lots of good ideas and some bad. Like most books, it has a little something you can take away and make your own.
My favourite so far has been Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl by Debra Ollivier. It was fun.

My problem with tips like the leek soup is that while the author might be well intentioned about using this for a weekend for 3 or 4 pounds ... someone is gonna try it for weeks ... and crash!

Kim, I hope that's not too political. I love finding ways to be more ecologically responsible. I do feel quite blessed to live where I can walk to a grocer and a vegetable stand easily. But we are not affluent folks so proteins on sale go in the freezer! So then I drive so I can get ... some ... too heavy to carry.

Today (my only day off this week) I am driving. About once every month or 6weeks I go to a larger centre about 40 minutes from home. In a bulk food store, I'll find some grains and dried goodies for breakfasts. In a lovely big dollar store I'll find some things I need because I'm the entertainment for a get together at our church this evening. Then I will wander through the mall with an eye out for very chic french things ;) ... and sales racks.
I'd also like to try some soaps that I might find at the bulk food store. It's a nice one, very much health oriented.

Well my goodness I'm chatty today.
That's enough!
Be good everyone!

Hi Everyone. I am glad to see that everyone is keeping to their goals and a few new chicks too. Sorry I haven't been around for awhile...I fell off the wagon (but I'm back on!). I finally decided I can't do this alone, or even with fat chicks...I joined weight watchers. I am only allowed 21 pts (which kind of sucks, my mom joined with me and she is allowed 30). I am back at 147 after only 1 1/2 wks (which is where I was originally when I lost weight and then kept gaining and losing the same few lbs). I was a bit disappointed in the claims of "no food is off limits", but I should have realized that I can eat anything I want and then pay a DEAR penence later by eating just celery, etc. I think WW will help because I am paying more attention to eating healthier and now just low-cal. I am eating a lot more fruit and veggies and drinking more water. Now, I just need to get back on track with my exercise!

Scenestealer...I used to wear my hair long too...about 10 years ago I had it cut to just touching my shoulders and love it at that length. It is quick to dry and easy to style or I can pull it back still. I have had it pretty short since then too and think it is more work than long hair was. I too have been a victim of the mullet cut when I first had it cut off...I kind of had a mullet-like Wynona Judd hairdo...horrible (even my hubby noticed it looked bad!)! It took 1 1/2 years to get it straightened out. She cut the top layer about 2" long....I still harbor a lot of hatred for that stylist :devil::devil: You're pic is so cute, I 'm sure it will look great regardless!

Scenestealer~I'm so sorry about your haircut. I can't imagine that they'd call that trendy--right now the trend in short hair is to have it short in back and longer on the sides (think Posh Spice, whatever her name is).

Kim & Susan~there used to be a thread here about "what's in your CSA box this week." I don't think it's political at all. We don't have the program here but it makes a lot of sense.

Gotta run. Have a great day!

Good afternoon from not so sunny Southern California :( Although it's much sunnier than it has been.

Our pool is a big stinking mess (although I should thank my lucky stars that is all we have wrong). It is filled with dirt, ashes, and tree branches and leaves. The pool guy is out there right now "looking" at it. I think it will have to be drained and acid washed.

I haven't posted in quite a while. I have been doing well with my eating and exercising. Well, I have been doing the same! I just maintain. I guess I should be glad about that though. My original goal was 125 and then I changed it to 130 and I've been maintaining at 133 for at least a year. I suppose I could kick it up a notch but maybe I'm too lazy?!

We have had to work 12 hours a day, no days off since the fires started down here so I've pretty much done nothing but work. The freeways were closed a couple of times up here where I live but they let us go through to get to work (lucky me! haha!). It was kind of nicely surreal driving on a freeway in Southern California with virtually no one else on it.

Anyway, hope everyone is still doing well with exercising and eating. I am trying to read back through the posts to get caught up.

Talk to you later. Jane

Jane~So glad to hear from you!!! I wondered where you had wandered off to!

Sorry to hear about the mess in your area, but be thankful you have a home. We've been experiencing the smoke last night and today and I assume it will last for quite a while. I'm sure it's a heck of a lot worse down there.

Sounds like you're doing okay diet wise. Maintaining is a challenge and it's nothing to shake a stick at. I've maintained for a year now, despite the fact that I want to lose 10 more pounds. Oh well.

Take care!

Maintaining/losing weight
 

As long as you're not gaining any significant amount of weight you're suceeding in my book! Staying at the same weight for a year can be tougher than losing weight. I'm not looking forward to doing this for the rest of my life but that's the way it has to be if I want the size 8 jeans.

And I do want them.

Dagmar