I agree SUSAN...my 3's often look like 5's...that must be the mistake.

Happy Birthday Robin!!! :celebrate:

Meg~this week is going to last an eternity! Just joking! You must be quite excited.

Baffled~you suspect you went over your maintenance calories?!?! LOL

Kery~great news about your physical! It's nice to get that kind of reward.

DGAdawg~you must have had a great time at the game.

My Thanksgiving plans are expanding. I'm up to 6 house guests and 25 for dinner that day. It might go up to 28. DH and I went to buy new patio furniture (darn!LOL) so we'll have enough place for everyone to sit. This is what we got (only instead of a round table, we got oval to sit 6):
http://www.bajagrillpatio.com/index....TS&Category=42
It'll be delivered tomorrow. Yes, we will be dining outdoors--I expect temperatures around 80 during the day and perhaps 70 or slightly less when we eat.

I'm back on plan, 100%, after a few not so good days/weeks. I know my eating is good, it's that darned wine again. I have made myself a new vow and I will see my goal by year's end!

Thank you folks. I am 44 today. The more important number (see how I brushed right over the age) is that I weighed in at 122 lbs. A new low, and the very best birthday present of all. If I can weigh in at 122 lbs on every single November 12th for the rest of my (hopefully and G-d willing very long) life, I will be very, VERY pleased. No other presents required. Although don't tell hubby that ;). What goes down in maintenance STAYS in maintenance, okay folks?

Last year I wrote in my journal that I weighed 236 lbs on my birthday and wrote that I would LOVE to be at my goal come my 44th birthday. So yes, this is a VERY happy birthday indeed. Thanks guys. :hug:

Hey Happy Birthday Robin - congrats also on your scale birthday surprise!

I always mean to participate in this thread, but it moves SO FAST!

I had a weird restless eaty day yesterday (I wont say "bingy") and I'm sure it was still within my calories, just bored I guess. I am back on track for today!

Happy Birthday Robin.
Lisa who is hanging on to 44 with both hand for two more months

Oh my goodness, how wonderful is that???? That just says it all, doesn't it?

Robin, I hope your birthday is as marvelous as you are -- and that's pretty marvelous!! :hug:

I'm already losing track of the thread (and my sanity, because I'm super-busy at work but not in the mood to actually do anything during my planning period except read 3FC posts). I'm getting a lot of "you're too skinny" comments today because I have on a rather form-fitting sweater (which I got in the junior dept, mind you) and people can actually see my waistline. I'm definitely not too skinny, but I feel pretty darn good. Especially when I realized earlier that I lost FOUR pounds this past week. I was back up to 165 last Monday but I've held steady at 161 since Friday. Woohoo!!

I vow to come back and catch up with everyone...seriously! Have a good day, guys! :)

Happy Monday and Habby Birthday Robin! You don't look 44, more like 34. Congrats on hitting 122 on your special day.

Meg, that is so great about your DD's wedding being so close. You must feel great to have all the plans and preparations in the bag, and excited about wearing your new dress.

I've been eating so on plan the last few weeks and then had a bad day yesterday. My DH and I went out to breakfast at Country Buffet with my brother and his wife. I usually just eat cereal for breakfast, but at the restaurant I had eggs, hash browns, a green salad, a donut hole. I didn't do SO bad, except that it just seemed to prime my eating pump and make we want to eat for the rest of the day. So eat I did: leftover pizza, ice cream, yada yada. I feel horrible about it, but am learning not to do this. I haven't gone overboard in a while because I remember how awful it makes me feel and how hard it is to get back on track the next day. I AM back on track today and already made it to the gym. I missed both Sat and Sun bec of the breakfast date and on Sat we had work chores to accompish. I can only make it to the gym in the mornings because I get so dang sweaty and don't want to go after I've already showered and gotten ready for the day. Oh well. All is right with the world today and I have a busy week ahead. One chore involves going to Macy's for the Veterans Day sale (which is Sun & Mon, thank goodness). Shopping always helps me stay on track. Like I said before, I have a lot of events coming up and want to have a few nice outfits to pick from.

Normally I would be hosting this Thanksgiving (my sis-in-law and I take turns) but she is having the dinner for us (there will be 25 in all) since we are swamped with our new business, plus I'll be having a grad party for my son on December 16 so then I can just do Christmas too (clean once, party twice)...

Have a good day everyone!

Pam

Hi everyone! I actually didn't have a totally disastrous weekend for once. Wow! When I was out shopping during lunchtime, instead of getting fast food I went to the prepared foods counter at Wild Oats and got some roasted squash and green beans instead. Yum! I even resisted Cinnabon, which is one of my favorite foods ever and I haven't had it in over a year. Then instead of going out to dinner Saturday night I cooked a "gourmet" dinner for the two of us. I cooked a multigrain rice pilaf with low-fat no-salt chicken broth and dried porcini mushrooms, some green beans, mushrooms, and onions, with garlic, and a pecan-crusted trout fillet (although it was already pecan-crusted when I bought it! :lol: ). Oh and a nice mixed greens salad with heirloom tomatoes and pomegranate seeds. I did buy garlic rolls from the store though, and a small dessert (tiramisu) and some wine, and made mini-appetizers -- crackers with a teeny bit of cheese, jam, and pomegranate seeds on top. Anyway it was yummy and relatively healthy considering. I had leftovers for dinner last night and lunch today.

Tonight's dinner is going to be more fish (sesame salmon, also came with the sesame seeds on it already!). I think we still have rice pilaf left too, plus we bought these "sweet dumpling" squashes that look yummy. I am so glad I got fish because it is so hard to find fresh fish around here. Saturday I happened to be in the neighborhood of my favorite grocery store (Fresh Market) though and they had all sorts of great looking stuff at the fish counter. I thought about buying some sea bass but I have no idea how to cook it! I need an excuse to go to that market more often.

In other news, I made it to the gym 4 days last week. Will I ever go all 5? I don't know, but at least if I try for 5 I know I'll get at least 3. Plus my halloween candy stash is now all gone. Phew!

We're going to DH's aunt's house for thanksgiving. I need to contact her to ask what we should bring! Also I just bought plane tickets home to LA for xmas. Can you believe we spent $585 per ticket??? Geez. At least it is a nonstop flight, which makes the trip much shorter (4.5 hours as opposed to 7.5+ with a stop) and gives me more time back home. I'm thinking instead of asking to go to all my favorite restaurants, maybe this year I'll ask my mom to cook all my favorite home-cooked meals, and see if I can't lighten them up a bit. My sister will be home too, which is both good and bad. Good is that I get to see my sister, bad is that the treadmill is in her room and therefore off limits! Hopefully the weather will be good enough for outdoor exercise.

Hi to everyone! I did read your posts, I just can't remember who said what anymore!

Okay! Officially de lurking this morning! :) And, I actually have a little time and energy to do something about it! Yay! I am a SAHM so the day off is kind of relative...hehehe DH and DD both have the day off though and that is what makes my day special. Actually, DH doesn't have to go back to work until Wednesday... Tomorrow is DD sixteenth birthday! Wow! I just don't know where the time went...I remember holding her in my arms when she was born. We are having a little party for her, she's got some special presents, cake, pizza, etc... She is very excited! We actually have a Dr. appt in the morning but it is a no biggie and then we just have to pick up the cake and put up the decorations.
This week is kind of monumental...DH has been 6 months seizure free and is now officially able to drive again. I have been doing all the driving and taking him to and from work since he was able to go. It has been a time, energy, and money drainer, but now I will almost miss it. (At least the morning trip, I have enjoyed spending that time with him and it was giving me no excuse not to go to the gym!)
Thank you all for your kind welcome and response to my post...I am going to go over there and respond to you all as well...I really feel very welcome here so I am going to be sure to stick around but please bear with me if I don't post as often as I should.
Happy Birthday Robin!!!! I hope my next birthday gift to myself is the same as yours! Being at goal!!!

Welcome Ravin Girl! This is such a great, supportive thread to join.

Happy B-Day Robin! It's AMAZING how much you've lost in a year. Like you, I'm planning on weighing the same on my b-day as I did last year.

Kery - did you see King Lear in French or in English? Which language did you read it in? I can't imagine reading/seeing it in another language because the Old English prose is so much a part of the beauty.

Meg - we went out to a fancy restaurant last night and at the end of my meal, I thought of you! I had a a piece of pumpernickle raison bread, a big salad with blue cheese dressing, lobster bisque, and a 7 oz filet minon. If you ate that much rich food, you'd faint.

Libby - one more pound and you'll have lost 100! Incredible.

DG - You sure have school spirit. Do you fallow any of the NFL teams like you do Georgia?

Shane - good wishes through your interview process.

Lisa - you had your seventh baby at 44? That's a victory in itself.

It is wonderful to see all these maintainers, even though it's hard to keep up. I'm off work today, and I need to get up from the computer and not fritter the day away. We had about 6" of new snow over the weekend and it's very pretty - if cold (20F, -6C) outside. I'm going to a couple of stores I don't usually get to, and then to the gym which amazingly is open. They usually close for all holidays and always on Sundays. DH left awhile ago to do all sorts of things he enjoys. Since he's retired, it's not exactly a day off for him. :)

Happy Birthday Robin! I too would be happy to see my goal for all the rest of my birthdays. I won't be back to mine for my b'day (1/7) but closer than I am now, and starting next year I plan to be there every birthday from then on.

No. I just don't enjoy the NFL...or really, any pro sports besides Baseball(The Braves). Besides...the Atlanta Falcons? Not worth following, haha!!

Happy Birthday, Robin!

Allison -- Yep, indeed! :) Oh, and if anyone was still wondering (is there anyone like that here? ;)): the doc confirmed that it's normal to always be cold all the times in weight loss situations. I kind of knew it already, but it's always better if a physician can confirm that it's 'normal', and not everyone's thyroid going whacko.

Ravengirl -- Welcome here! May this thread be for you the support it is for us, even if it tends to move so fast sometimes that it's hard to follow. :dizzy:

Carolyn -- I read & studied it in English, but the play I saw was in French. That in itself made things a little weird, I guess. I had to mentally berate myself for being constantly comparind both languages--it's interesting to do, but, uh, not during the play itself, I guess.

Good morning! :coffee2: Rain is coming down in buckets here and it was so tempting to skip the gym. I actually made a list of reasons why not to go. But I went and did my cardio and of course, I feel terrific now. :carrot: I hope all this rain brings down the last of the leaves so we can rake them and be done for the year.

Dawg, I keep meaning to tell you (and then keep forgetting :dizzy:) that your avatar picture is sooo lovely. You look like real life princess. :) So forgive me ... I think it whenever I see your posts but always forget to say it.

Jessica, congratulations on the successful weekend. :high: Thank goodness the candy stash is gone! I hear you on plane fares -- gone are the days of bargain fares. Everything is crowded, late, and expensive now.

Pam, shopping totally helps me stay on track too. In fact, just walking into my closet can forestall a binge - how crazy is that? Did you find anything good at the sales? And how is everything going with the new gym? I would so love to have you in my neighborhood!

:wave: everyone else! Got to get some cleaning done before my dad's surprise 80th birthday party here on Thursday. Somehow I have to figure out how to pretend we don't have five cats and the resulting cat fur.

And please remember ... no one is expected to keep up with the thread or write personal messages to everyone. Just post what you can, when you can. :D

Hey everyone... happy birthday, Robin! :D

I had a horribly off plan weekend, but I'm back on track today. The good news is that I exercised like a fiend... the bad news is everything else! Since my new goal is nice abs, I'm aiming for 100g+ protein, under 25% fat, and no/very little refined sugars.

I'm getting a valid Florida driver's license today. I had one from Virginia, but it expired a few months ago and I got lazy. In order for me to get this job I want, I need one from Florida, so I'm off to the DMV later today with hopefully perfect hair, perfect skin, and a perfect outfit for a perfect picture. :lol: who the :censored: am I kidding?! Driver's license pictures NEVER turn out well!

welcome again Raven! And DG, I agree with Meg about your avatar- you are pretty and elegant. :)

Carolyn, thank you for your warm regards. :D