[firmingdi]

Hi everyone. I've been gone for a while but I'm back and really trying to stick with the program - I WILL STICK TO THE PROGRAM. Spending lots of time and reading on the emotional eating issues - trying to gain insights on why I sabatage myself. Any who, I'll try to catch up on the postings.

diane

[emmysmom]

Does anyone else do this...It seems like I'll go to WI, like yesterday for example. I'm down 1.2 pounds from Monday...yeah! I get so excited, I call my husband, life is good. Now today, I feel mopey. I'm tired of dieting, but at the same time I wish I looked like I did 3 years ago. How could I be so moody over this whole thing? Does anyone else go through these mood swings?

[LadyIzzy]

Thanks Karen for helping me get back on track by including the link to Fit Day in your post. I started that in January and dropped off by Spring. I've recorded everything for Monday on and it was a shocker to know that I had eaten 2549 calories on yesterday vs. 1648 today. That was a wakeup call if ever I had one.

Thanks all for your prayers. wtxchick, I agree with your sister that God has a say in this. It sounds as if your center offers alot of 'extras' that I never heard of two years ago when I first signed on or this time when I resigned on. Binders, tip cards, excercise video, a scale, personal success visit, program explanation separate from the first day that I went in and signed up. You go girl, the do it large in Texas.

Marbear - what happened to the dog that the Houston dog cops would be after you. You didn't color the fur orange and purple did you?

[textjewel]

Good night, chickies.

Tina - I know those mood swings, too -- I think we all do -- we celebrate our scale successes and mourn our slow periods --You are so close to the 150's chick - you can do it, just one day at a time. . .

Diane - I think anyone who's a serial dieter must wonder about the sabotaging, too - please share anything that you find - it would be interesting.

Mary- I can't believe that you do your Christmas shopping so early. I'm usually buying the Wendy's gift certificates for my DBIL on Christmas eve. It just seems to be more like Christmas when your weaving your way through the crowds.

When I joined, I got the scale. . .and that was about it. . . I'd even like a water bottle. Not that they have one, but I'd use it. I've seen the video, I think it's called Easy Steps, and they did offer it as a promotion last year. I actually bought mine off ebay.

Hugs to all,
Julie

[wtxchick]

DD & I went tonight for our "personal success" visit. It was cold here in West Texas, 46 degrees (for us that is cold! ) so we wore blue jeans and sweat shirts. Our couselor offered us a lightweight robe to put on to weigh in because our clothes would add weight. We declined, but got a good chuckle out of picturing the men in this aqua blue polka-dotted 3X robe!

We went into a private room and she went over our journals. I was complimented on the "completeness" and "neatness" of mine. DD was congratulated on filling hers out on her own because apparently most parents fill out the kids. She pointed out that my problem with the program probably came from having a Lean Pocket for lunch on Tuesday. I disagreed, very politely, and told her "no" I did not have a problem with the program per se except that I was ravenously hungry and absolutely hate the Lites. I will not choke down another one. She paused for a minute, looked at me, and excused herself. I thought, "Great, now someone else is coming to deal with me." DD looked at me and said, "Maybe we should just eat them." I said we absolutely were not going to do that. I am paying for a service and they will provide the service they advertised.

The counselor returned with 2 yellow sheets, sat down with a calculator, and figured both of us out a new plan. She handed me the Red plan and DD the Orange 1 plan. They both have the Lites listed in the exchanges, but we are to ignore those. She did caution us again and said "LA Weight Loss can't guarantee a 2 pound per week weight loss without the Lites. Are you sure you wouldn't like to try the shakes or the soups?" I told her I would take my chances and thanked her for changing us.

Then, out came the Free to Live binders (DD got one that had punch out cards for common portion sizes like a CD, deck of cards, etc. to help her figure out correct sizes). We went through that, had a nice chat, and we were on our way!

Best of all, no sales pitch on those LA Lites!! The topic wasn't even touched!

By the way, I'm down .8 more (even in the jeans) and DD stayed the same, so I know she'll show a loss on Saturday morning!

I am so pleased at the way the Center handled my complaint. I think I'm going to have to brag to someone "in charge" about how professionally this was conducted. I was truly worried that my displeasure would somehow affect my treatment at this Center for the next year of DD & my weight loss journey. Thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Looking forward to the new plan and weighing in on Saturday!

Andi

[textjewel]

Hi chicks - sorry, can't post for long -- heading to a conference --
Keeping my mantra in mind -I deserve the BEST choices - so it'll keep me from fast food, too much alcohol, etc. . .

Andi, so glad that you and DD had a good experience last night, and that already you're beginning to show progress!

I'll try to post later.

Julie

[Star]

Hi Chickadee's.....Happy Friday..

Short day for me -I'm leaving at 10:30 to take my car home and then DH will pick me up for our trip to the hospital....procedure at 1:00. I'm so hungry I can't tell you and thirsty. Yesterday all I could eat was broth and jello, water, coffee......then I had to do the cleansing thing...and today I get nothing - not even water.....

Had to post just to see my weight on the ticker.....

Mary, please have your DH get checked for the sleep apnia (sp?) My husband has it and sleeps with his machine. It can be very serious without treatment...

[MetalChic]

Good Luck Star!

I hope you feel better soon!

[SyracuseNY]

Hi ladies: Well, I'm still doing pretty good sticking to plan, I have not updated my dollar amt for some reason? I should just put the amount in a jar so it's easier to count.

Andi: How old is your DD? Cool that they didn't give you the HARD sell on the bars. Be sure that they put that in your charts so that other counselors will know not to bother asking.

We don't get the Free to Live stuff at my center, as a matter of fact - I've asked about it and they have never heard of it? I believe mine is a Corporate center.

Tina: I have those mood swings too as far as the High at the center and the Low afterwards. I can't say that I've got sick of the diet or have had any reservations about continuing, just some days that it's harder than others.

Mary: I'm with Julie. I wish I could do my Xmas shopping well in advanced, but buying for the nieces and nephews is hard, they change their minds with the wind as far as what they want and if I purchased something now, it would be passay (don't know how the spell that one).

Star: Any update on your tests?

Julie: Hi there!

[jmpike]

Star--I'll be thinking about you today and sending good thoughts/vibes/prayers your way.

[Chklithunder]

Hi Everyone.

Star - here's wishing the best possible outcome for you.

[firmingdi]

Morning everyone. I weighed in this morning and I'm down 1.6 lbs since Wednesday am. I'll take that. I have a very social couple of days so I'll need to focus on making good choices - a big challenge for me. Anyway, there was a great recipe posted at the center. I'm not sure about sugar twin brown sugar but it may be worth a try:

Apple Crisp

2 small apples
1/3 cup Sugar Twin brown sugar
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat ovenn to 350. Spray dish with pam. Spread out sliced apples in dish. Mix rest of ingredients and sprinkle on top of apples. Bake until golden brown.

Counts as 2 Fruits and 1 Starch.

Star - good luck on your test - and way to go with the 159!

Hope everyone has a great day!
diane

[juliemarie]

Diane-

I tried that recipe out of their cookbook. It was horrible. Really dry and way too much artificial sweetner. It was like eating spoonfuls of it and it had a really bad after taste. I tried eating it with yogurt and still couldn't choke it down. I was bummed too cuz I was excited to have a real dessert to eat.

[wtxchick]

First day on Red plan/No Lites - and I'm so glad about that! Phew! What a relief to not have to choke down those awful little bars. I must admit that they looked at me wierd at the Center yesterday. Apparently those little suckers are pretty popular!

Lazy day here. DS is mowing the yard before he and DH head off to the golf course. Both DDs and I are going to get the house in order and possibly go for a little shopping.

I do love the Free to Live binder (for some reason I keep calling it Free to Win!) I guess both are the same. It has a lot of sections that give you information on losing weight. The tip cards are really great - there are a ton of them that give you the goods on eating at the movies, shopping, amusement parks, etc. If you don't have one, you ought to get one. You'll like it.

The funniest part of the binder, though, is a few pages on "how to talk to others about LA Weight Loss." It gives possible scenarious, such as a friend lamenting the fact that they have no energy and then you say, "I used to have that problem before I joined LA Weight Loss. I have learned..."

We weigh in again tomorrow. This is getting wierd weighing every single time I turn around. However, it does seem to help you stay the course. On WW, it was so easy to justify with "I just weighed in and I have 7 whole days before I weigh in again..."

Have a great day everyone - Star - thoughts and prayers to you!

Andi

[juliemarie]

Andi-

I know what you mean. As annoying as it is to go in so often-I can't binge after a weigh in like I used to thinking that I have 7 days to make up for it!