Aw, you are welcome. I'm so glad that you are enjoying your breakfasts. Look for bread that is high in protein (sprouted grains, e.g.) so that you are stocking up on protein in the morning.

As for the scale, bad, bad scale. Stay off it! It's just your body adjusting and it will come back down, I promise.

First time on in a few weeks...the few weeks that I have let my free days spill into one after another. Wow...the longer on maintenance (technically almost 6 months ....end of May)....the harder and harder this gets. I am having a very very stressful work year (no contract, school budget didn't pass, self-contained kids now in my Regents science class because of new State laws)....my diet is no longer my focus....my job is. So I have redirected myself this week. I am up over 5 pounds...yuck! I will do what I can within reason to get them off...until January...then I want a 5-week restructure time.

Why did I highlight your post? Because these were rules I had been living by and I forgot them. Time to refocus some.

Keep up the good work ladies...glad everyone is well

Great to see you DARBS. At least you are only up 5lbs, and you know exactly what to do to deal with those pounds before they become 10. I wish you well. We are here for you.

Pauley. Just tell yourself you are learning that you cannot have a bag of cookies in the car for a snack. Then jump on Phase 1 and get rid of any effects.
Don't be hard on yourself...You have done so well losing 51 pounds.
I still fight carb cravings to this day! We can retrain ourselves!!!!!!!!

It is amazing how those old habits creep in without you realizing them..I think it is good that you recognize them!
I find that the holidays cause old habits to resurface..or old memories of what one must eat to celebrate..Time for change.

Hi Darbs..I totally sympathize with your stressful school situation. The stress level of no contract, no budget, and adding self contained kids to your classes is huge. You are doing very well to maintain with only a five pound gain. Hope there is some improvement in your job situation.

PixleKitty..Sounds like the interviews went well. I figured you were exhausted with the constant interviews. Hope your leg is better.. I am heading into 15 min conferences next week.

BCGirl..I have a snack mid afternoon. So far I am just using a packet..but I am thinking about investigating emerald 100 package chocolate almonds.
I was inspired by one of your comments and saved it to remind myself during the holidays:
I know that separating my enjoyment of family/events from food is (for me) actually an important lesson to learn - ie. politely declining the dessert my mother in law puts in front of me isn't about "hurting feelings", it's about my accountability for my own health.



2ride: Hang in there.. Your body is getting used to that Phase 3!!!

Hi Darbs, what rotten luck to have even more stress thrown on top of what (JohnQPublic doesn't fully understand) is a really stressful job. But if anyone can get rid of 5 pounds, you can.

And I'm sorry, I've tried every which way to figure out what "self-contained kids" are and can't. I'm sure it's a euphonism, but for what? And if that's a tactless question, please ignore it, OK?

Thanks for the guidelines PXLKITTY! Sorry I can't join you on the site, but I will log my food on there and stay in touch here. Thanks also for adding the water challenge...that's the hardest one for me to keep up with, so it's a good goal. Last 2 days I've been keeping up though, so that's good.
Thanks Ladies!

So true! It's kind of like when I quit smoking... some of the 'familiar' situations when I always had a cigarette. We're off on another adventure and there will be NO food in the car.

stress is just terrible in all jobs right now, remember you can only do so much and things that you can't control, you have to find a way to let go of. it took my husband having a heart attack & 3 stents to realize this. his position at work has finally been given to 2 people. since the telecom crash in 2001, he has been doing 2 peoples jobs and for 6 months, 3 peoples jobs. he had an employee whose daughter had cancer (14 yrs old) and the company policy is a leave of absence, but without pay and she was a single mother. sooooo my sweet husband said he would do her job for her and she got paid......his reward, a heart attack at age 55, so you are not alone with the stress. he is taking everything a little less serious these days and changes the things he can and doesn't worry about the rest. You have to take care of you in order to be effective for others.

So good to hear from you. Some of us have been talking about doing a "re-boot" in January. Hope you check in and join us.

I also don't know what "self contained" kids are. Please educate me.

I will let Darby give you the official word on self contained. In my school, self contained kids are special ed students who are unable to function in a normal classroom. Often they cannot handle the stimulus of all the other students. Thus, they spend a good portion of their day in the Special Ed room learning skills at their level. There are often emotional outbursts or behavior problems when you add them to a regular class...which could be part of Darby's stress.

Bellamack..My thoughts are with you and your husband.Isn't that amazing that your husband was doing the job of two or three people? That is what is happening. No one is replacing the people that leave, and everyone is covering more and more duties in their jobs. I am glad your husband is doing better. I so agree with you about taking care of yourself to be there for others. You two are doing very well with all of this stress.

Sunnymae: Welcome to the challenge. You can just post here and be right on it. Good luck on keeping up with the water. I feel like I am drinking water all day...and I am. Have you tried keeping a water bottle in your car or at work?

Sammyswan. Good for you..with the no food in the car rule...a good new habit. I will be trying to change my husband's habit on my trip. He has the idea that since we are on a trip, we should indulge..because we do not get to eat these foods in our small town. I just have to keep reminding him that I am not going to indulge for my health reasons!

Woolberger. I am glad you are back!

We are heading out to the coast for the weekend and also doing the trip with no food in the car! We are working on an attitude shift for hubby and daughter on this trip too. We used to use a weekend away as an excuse for 3 days of free range eating. In a way, that was easier to deal with on phase 1 when I simply brought packets and couldn't eat with them anyway. Now that I'm on maintenance, I am simply not going to be able to watch them eat pizza and fudge (which neither of them should be eater either). I know I would indulge, so have let them know we'll be having only 1 meal out. It will be easier on finances that way too. Wish me luck!