Oops, almost forgot - Shannon does paying for you gym membership keep you motivated to go? I've tried doing things on my own since we have exercise equipment here at work but seems like knowing I'm paying for it motivates me to go more. Just something to think about.......

Katy - Nope! I haven't been since August. Well let me take that back, I went in a couple weeks ago so he could show me the equipment but as per my previous post he didn't and I haven't been back since. Can't see going to walk on a treadmill when I have one at home.

Good morning all of my friends :) :) :)!!!

I am sorry I have been such a slacker.........and I HAVE MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! I didn't really realize it until I skimmed over this weeks posts. I love all of the new avatars........you all look so adorable!!!

I have been bad, but I think I am almost over it. If I don't get over it real quick I will be back to my starting weight.

So, I am not going to do personals right now......I am living in a disaster area (see what happens when I shop instead of housekeep), but I wanted to send big :hug:'s to everyone :) Keep up the good work :)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Welcome back Nicole! We have missed you too! Tis the season to be busy! Try to remember to take some time for yourself! :)

Well ladies and gent... I am finally in the 230's! I WI at 239.6 this morning! What a lovely feeling!

Whoohoooo Kimberly :)

Hello there fellow LAWLers. It's been a long time since I have been on here. Thanks Nicole, for PMing me and calling me out. I wasn't ignoring you, just lots of stuff going on along with some computer problems. I had fallen off the LAWL wagon and I think out of boredom and just needing a break, took a hiatus. I did gain some weight back, but did fast forward last Thurs. and Friday, and have netted a 7 lb. loss since then, so I am back on my way. Now if I can just survive this super stressful time of year. Only 3 more weeks and I can take a breath.

I am loving all the new pics. Felicia, you look amazing!! Dan, Liz, Love the fam picture! Kimberly R., you're looking good.

Jillian- How are you doing? You sound so sad.:hug: I'm sorry that you are having to go through all this all alone. Keep your chin up hon, it has to get better.

Sherry- Good to see you.

Cathy- Congrats on the 30 lbs. I can sympathize with you, I work retail too. I am a picture framer, so we have deadlines to meet so everybody can have their presents on time.

Amylou- Good luck on your finals. I know you will be glad to get those over with.

Katy- I am really bad at getting my water in when it's cold. I drink WAY too much coffee in the winter. I know this is a debate of the COD's, but mine has said that you can drink tea and the crystal lights mixed with water to get your water in. I don't drink the crystal lights full strength and if it helps get uncaffeinated liquids into my body then what's the harm.

I see so many new faces here, and I am looking forward to getting to know everybody. I'll go back when I get a chance to see what has gone on.

Hey, has Cassi ever checked in????

Stacy- How about this recipe- only instead of making it in a pie, make it kind of like a sheet cake. just use crushed graham crackers with a little butter to hold it together instead of the pie crust. I used to make the regular version every year and really like the made over version too. I use low-fat cream cheese though because I can't handle the fat free stuff.
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) fat-free PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. skim milk
1 Tbsp. Splenda
1 tub (8 oz.) fat-free COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)
1 cup skim milk
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) fat-free/sugar-free JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Preparation:

MIX cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and the sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended.
Gently stir in half of the whipped topping. Spread onto bottom of crust.
POUR 1 cup milk into large bowl.
Add pumpkin, dry pudding mixes and spices. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.

Hey, some familiar faces are returning! We all missed you Deb and Nicole.

Deb - It is good to see you back! The recipe sounds wonderful, I've used many of yours off the recipe threads as well:)

Nicole - Glad you are back to keep things stirred up. I think we are all struggling at "being good".

hey everyone. just checking in quick before i'm off to work for the night.
got a workout in today. guess between all the stressful stuff going on in my life i kinda ditched it for a while.

not much else to say really. it's good to see nicole, deb, sherry and amy(jersey) back on here.

hope everyone has a good night.

Deb, it's nice to "meet" you and thanks for the recipe. Even if I don't make it for tomorrow, I will have a try it some other time. My husband would love it! I am with you on the FF cream cheese. Yucky!!

Nicole - Good to see you back around. Enjoy this time of the year and take some time for you!

Kimberly R. - Way to go! Last week I made it into the 220's and was so excited! I know some people (not the people on here :) ) don't understand what an accomplishment this is, but I certainly do!!! Keep it up! You are doing great! Keep focused on each success and celebrate every drop!

I really liked the Key Lime Pie, also from Deb I think. I've made it twice.

I also have been not good on the water. I hadn't thought that it was related to being cold. I have been drinking way too much coffee too, which makes sense since our office tends to be overly cold, who wants to drink something cold when they are already cold.

I was far from POP yesterday. Why does the maid service have to leave us chocolates? Don't they know that I can't have that in the house without eating it? Oh well, a few chocolates, and then I was just hungry all day after that and did my best to keep the lid on the eating, but only just barely. Yesterday was supposed to be a low calorie day for me in my zig zag calorie scheme. My DH cooked dinner, in fact he had cooked 2 days in row, which I don't remember him doing that ever in the past except when I was sick or something. So of course I ate what he put on the plate, since after over a year on this plan sometime I'm thinking he doesn't want to hear about it anymore (and he just wanted some brown rice so I ate it).

I also thought Nicole on TBL looked really good. I particularly liked her transformation, since she looks a great deal like my younger sister (who more
resembles her before right now), so it was great to see her lose the weight. She has a really beautiful bone structure in her face that was not at all apparent when she was at her starting weight.

I'm still doing the zig zag calorie thing, I think it is working but I've not gotten on the scale in quite some time... I guess I've been doing more weights at the gym, and I'm afriad to know that I've put on my muscle weight.

Shannon, Just because there is one lazy guy who didn't feel like showing you around the gym is not a good reason to not go. Don't they have more than a tread mill there and a swimming pool? I find it better to have the ability to do different things, since currently my foot is bothering me a bit so I'm staying off the treadmill for awhile and doing more low impact things. It would be hard to do that if I didn't belong to the gym. Are there classes that you could attend? If you are not comfortable at that gym, perhaps there is someplace else where you would be more comfortable and actually do the working out. I would just not exercise very much if I had to just rely on doing it all by myself at home, I have an elliptical trainer, and I do use it, but probably not more than once a week. Too boring really.

They have tons of stuff there. I've been a member for almost a year now and up until August was content to just use the treadmill and pool/water aerobics. I don't know how to use the equipment and without my glasses can't see the instructions. Yes they do have classes but most are for people in MUCH better shape than I am. I've asked them a couple times now to show me the ropes - I also faxed him a copy of a workout routine I had at another gym and he just needed to show me what machines they have that are the equivalent of what I was using. He's never responded. We switched to this gym because the pool/spa area was much nicer and cleaner but not I'm thinking we should have stayed where we were. At least I knew the equipment there. I'm just frustrated with them. For $100 a month I expect more.

Shannon, 100$ a month is pretty high. I think we pay 150$ a year. I know what you mean about feeling that you are too out of shape to even bother with the classes, but you get in shape by doing them. I started with yoga and Pilates and moved my way up the fitness chain. Perhaps you should move if you are not taking advantage of their services, why pay for something you don't use. Keep looking until you find something that you will use and actually do. I'm considering getting a personal trainer to help me out, since I had a few sessions when I first joined the gym (and was horribly terribly out of shape). Not that I would pay someone a lot of money, but I could probably benefit from someone showing me a couple of different work outs to do to get me to advance. Does your gym offer anything like that or is it just the one guy who sounds like he only wants to work with the already fit?

Hi I am wondering if this is thread is open to new members to LAWL...I just started on Monday and am looking for some people to chat with to help keep me on track!