Tired good idea I know it really helps me to chart. That way I don't let so many extras jump into my intake. I worked out again yesterday only on the treadmill for 40 min. but thats better than not at all. I am getting back into the swing of things. Preplanning is one of the things I am working on. I knew we were going for dinner so the extra 250 calories I burned off helped balance my intake. I also had a healthy lunch and poached eggs, dry toast. Its the little things that can help make a difference. I started months ago to order dry toast when I have eggs it is just habit no to do so. Well dinner cals were a bit high last night but we were at our favorite burger joint. Have a great day and keep up the good work. I am glad to see you have yogurt in your intake thats suppose to be helpful in losing. I think pizza is fine especially homemade as we can control how we make it.
Intake plans: Kashi wheat cereal 200, 1 banana 110, blk coffee
apple snack 80
1/2 turkey sandwich on dk. rye no mayo, mustard, veggies prov. ch.?400
apple 80
chicken grilled w/broc. steamed and salad w/ olive oil and blueberry vinegar, spices. 400 yogurt 100

Hi. Good for you Carol working out. Lots of good advice too. Very good start to the day, but then a tough afternoon at school sent my diet off course. I'm really struggling with the admin. dictates right now. I love to be a creative, interesting teacher, but lately the admin has had so many dictates that it makes me feel like they'd rather have robots than real people teach. I'm trying to keep a low profile, but it's hard for a passionate thinker like me. Oh well, lately I feel like I'm being nudged in a new direction, but what is it? Oh well, I'll have to have a good eating night. Thanks for staying on the post. It's nice to know you're here.

Well girls it was a very emotional day for me yesterday and ended in not such good choices. I did good until the evening when we were invited for dinner at a friends. The food and dessert full of calories galore. I was an emotional reck anyways I made the decission yesterday to have our 17 year old dog put to sleep today. It was so hard but something I needed to do. The girls told me it was time and I didn't want to hear it really. So after a few weeks of thinking and more issues health wise with my dog it was time I figured. So a call to the vet was made. I was a reck for a bit after and my coworkers all animal lovers were very supportive. I am taking today off to take care of matters and to deal with my emotions. Afterwards I think I will work out put some stress and emotions to rest. She has been a lovely dog and I guess we should be so lucky we have had her in our lifes for this long. But it is not by any means an easy task. I haven't contacted my son but will over the weekend. I told my hubby no more for awhile. So the place we went to for dinner last night just got a new puppy the other day oh so cute. My hubby really fell in for her. She is just a little butter ball about 500.00 dollars too. Katie will never be replaceable. She always follows me around from the min. I get in the door until bed time. Oh thanks for listening I needed to get this out I think. I know its the right thing to do as she is losing control over her bladder throughout the day and night.
Well I am not going on the scale until sunday. I decided because of my slip up last night that I would wait til sunday... Gave myself a little break! Talk to you all soon.
Oh Tired I remember working in a school and I love the kids learning with a creative teacher I know you will meet the demands of the school and still beable to reach your own level of creativity. Your a good teacher and you need to remember that! The kids are so lucky to have you and the fact you care!

Hi Carol, I'm so sorry about your dog - 17 years! That's a long, long time. I can imagine your pain and sadness. Perhaps you can write a little book about your dog and add some pictures. That will comfort your grandkids and give you a memory all in one place. Food can definately be comforting in situations like this and you're so good now that you can get back on track once the black cloud moves over a bit.

Thanks for the kind words about school. I had a good day today. I did some writing that helped me to see clearer.

Marie and Judy, I hope you are both doing well. I'm actually going out tonight with a couple of friends that I've had for almost 40 years! It's funny but they know me just about as well as anyone else. When we were kids we spent every afternoon at one of our houses talking, talking, talking about the ups, downs and theories of life.

Take care

Tired thanks for your kind words. It was a very hard day and thank goodness we don't have to do that very often. I never imagined it would be as hard as it was. The house it a bit empty with out her. She would greet me when I got home, followed me around etc.. I will adjust with time. The book is a good ideas thanks, the kids are making a cross and painting it for her grave site.
Today we are having a family birthday celebration for the 2 grandsons. I baked two cakes last night and that kept me quite busy. The one was from the current country living mag. it is a choc. pumpkin cake from scratch. It is 3 layers high and frosted with orange cream cheese frosting not low in cals at all. Then I made a little box mix cake and frosted a pumpkin on it and decorated it. We are having lunch for the boys today. My kitchen was a mess but the cakes look good! I hope they taste as good as they look. The party will be fun and I love watching the kids together at a gathering. I am off to a few sales with my friends one is a garage sale the other a moving. I love the moving sales. Usually you can get great stuff and reasonable. I spoke with my son last night about our trip in the spring to Hawaii. He said the whales will be around from Dec-April a real cool experience. I think the hubby is going to go and I am pleased with that. I am going to book the tickets soon. Something fun to look forward to.
Well its to be a cold weekend here. I am going to breakfast with some friends in the morning on sunday and then plan on working out. My emotional eating has gotten the best of me the end of this week. I need to get a grip!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Carol, Judy, and Tired. Carol, I am so sorry about the loss of your beloved doggie. Last night as I walked my two huskies, I thought of you and the pain that you are going through. Don't be too hard on yourself for seeking comfort in food. Like you said, that pain isn't a daily occurence and you overeating isn't either. So be gentle on yourself. Enjoy the birthday parties (the homemade cake sounds delicious) and the moving sale.

Tired, I'm glad your day was good yesterday. I can understand your frustrations with administration, but just a word in their defense, more than likely their dictates are mandated by the state and federal governments. More often than not, when I require a stupid thing to be done by teachers, it's because the state mandated some type of reporting. The red tape that is being thrown at schools as a whole is unbelieveable. It certainly isn't good for education and our future generations. I'm glad that you're creative in the classroom - at least you know in spite of red tape, you're still doing your job as you see it. That's good.

My job is going good. I hate the start of the school year and that's over now. I've got the dumb webserver up and running in peak performance. I've got PHP and MySQL running on it and I'm learning a lot about both programs and making them work for my web page. Next week I'm going to San Jose for a class on dynamic web pages and that should be fun. This week, I want to learn more about PHP and MySQL so I'm not lost in the class.

Things are going good family wise. DS1's GF had another ultrasound yesterday and there are new pictures. It's amazing how clear they are. I'm excited to be a grandma. DS2 and I had a great night together last night. He was home when I returned from the walk with the dogs. We made homemade pasta (spaghetti) and garlic bread. It was delicious. I didn't have dessert again. Dessert is my favorit thing in the world and is my treat when I'm good through the day. Well, I'm trying to learn when I'm not hungry not to eat it just because I don't need to. So I haven't had dessert in the evenings all week. Sort of good, sort of a bummer.

I've been exercising regularly. So that's good. I haven't stepped on the scale because I know I could do better eating wise, but my new clothes fit perfectly. So I'd guess I'm maintaining.

This morning DH and I are going hiking with the doggies. DH has to work this weekend (Guard) so we're going before he goes to work. Then I have drawing homework to do so that should be fun. I did a little better this past Wednesday than I did the week before. My homework is a grid drawing and I'm going to do my beloved Alaskan Husky. Should be cool.

Well, I'll chat with you all later.
Marie

Marie thanks for your kind words. My house is a bit different these days. I bought a few things to spruce it up and that made me feel a little better. I have to say it does take a lot out of yah! I am looking foward to starting fresh this week with my intake and exercise. I did a bit of christmas shopping yesterday. The store had Barbies stuff marked down 1/2 off so I figured might as well get it. So both grandaughters are almost done except for my sewing part.
The weather has been so rainy here your lucky you can get out walking.
Glad your work is going better.
Tired I hope you have a good start to your week with school. You play an important role in those little ones lifes. Hope your weekend was good.
Judy you must be out of town or super busy miss hearing from you.
I am planning to eat well and exercise this week. For things to do this week I plan on finishing my sweater then working on my grandaughters quilt.
Well gotta go to work I packed my lunch last night that seems nice not to have to do this a.m..

Hi Carol, I'm glad that you're looking forward to a fresh start this week. I need to get back on the diet band wagon. I admit I'm not being good eating. Not awful, just not good. We're going for a hike today and that will be nice. I have the day off and not a thing planned. I have drawing homework to do, but that's it.

I had a nice weekend. Relaxing and time spent with family (except DH who had to work).

Not much going on so that's about it. Talk with you all later. Hi Judy and Tired.
Marie

Yesterday was a bit stressful I had to disput with my supervisor over the source I used for my day off on friday. I have time with vacation and sick no problem there. But she fought me on taking a sick day for being upset over the dog I had for 17 years. I told her people take time off because of a lot other things including hang overs, boyfriends having issues etc... I felt my need for a day off when I was in an emotional state was a good enough reason. I told her if I hadn't been honest of my reason it would of never of been in question. So in the future yah just lie to cover the reason you need a day off. Well needless to say she wasn't to happy with my responses but I felt strongly to use my sick day as I know how others use them. I also said I guess it depends on if your the bosses friend to how you get granted time off. Well its all behind me now 10 min. later she called me back in and granted me my time. Its just too bad I had to go through that to get it.
So I am hoping today is a better day with less stress which leads to not the best choices of food. My coworker had a bag of chips and we all got into them in the afternoon. Today is a new day and I am charting my intakes and exercise off to the gym. Talk to you soon Marie we will get to our goal just a few obstacles get in our way thats all. Gotta keep the big picture in mind I guess.

Hi, all--

I'm still out here, plugging away! I wrote a long post on Saturday but it got lost somehow. Anyway, I'm back from traveling again, and dealing with my overwhelming desire to eat sweet and/or hearty food on days like today, when it's dark, chilly and wet outside.

Carol, I was so sorry to hear about your beloved dog. I'm so glad that you stood up for yourself and took your sick day.

Marie, I laughed when you confessed the "dessert is my favorite thing in the world" Snacks are mine, because I think that includes desserts, and a dessert in the middle of the day is a snack! If that makes sense to you, then you are just as bad as I am.

I went to Pilates last night, and promise to practice more between classes. I'll go to Curves today after work. Although I'm moving back toward my usual eating patterns, I am still straying just enough to consume a few extra hundred calories a day. Today it was a blueberry muffin and chai tea. But I'm doing better than I was a few weeks ago, when I ate like there was no tomorrow. I won't get back on the scale until this weekend. I hope I haven't gained too much weight back.

Gotta go for now, I just wanted to check in and wish everyone a great day!

judy

Judy, I did get it. I guess we're in the same boat. Good luck getting totally back on board. I'm straying too much, but the exercise is keeping me somewhat in line.

Carol, good for you for standing up to your supervisor. I take it she's not a pet owner because no one who loves their animals would dispute the emotional grief that you went through.

I'm at work - I don't want to be but I have lots to do, so off I better go. I did really good through the morning, then lunch dessert came and I was bad. Good thing I'm walking the pups today. TTYL.
Marie

judy thanks for your support and you too Marie. I don't regret my way of handling things. But today the day after she says to me I am working on your evaluation. Oh now thats not so good do you think? I laughed and jokingly said to her well after yesterday I can just imagine. I am not worried about it I am a hard worker and do a good job. I might not always agree with her or the system but my clients are well taken care of and that speaks by itself. That is what really counts. We don't get paid anymore for being wonderful or awful. It is a crazy system everyone gets the same percentage. I don't always agree with that but I guess its more fair to everyone in some ways. I know without a doubt that there will be something reflecting how I need to take my supervisors advise and direction better. But I feel that most of the time my way is best and I have been in this field a long time now. So I will have to eat up what ever is said to me I guess. But I will review it carefully before signing off. Marie I don't think she cares for many things except herself at times... Well thanks for letting me vent. The good news is all in all I had a better day today! I ate well stayed at 1425 calories and worked out for 55 min. and burned at least 275 calories on the treadmill and then what ever else on the other stuff. I raised my incline and speed today. I felt really good after my visit to the gym. I even looked at halloween candy and walked away. It was helpful to know I had dinner in the crock pot waiting for me. Then I ate a yogurt and almonds for snack tonight. Well I feel like I am gaining control working out helps us eat better I THINK!!!!!! Take care ladies and have a good night. This helped me stay motivated and its almost bedtime.

Hi all, writing quickly as I have to run to work. I'll be back to talk later, but just wanted you to know that I'm still on the journey. I've been climbing "a mountain" lately, but I think I've reached a bit of a plateau for a moment. We'll see. Take care and have a good day.

Tired we all reach that spot its okay for awhile as long as you take a maintaining break. But then for me at least I have to shake things up a bit or the changes I want won't come. Today I have preplanned my meals as I am honoring the request of a little birthday boy to go to Friendly's with grandpa and I. So I have figured in extra calories for later and will do a workout too. That way I will not feel guilty in making choices later. It should all balance out. I feel that I have more control this week and will continue on with this journey in a more positive attitude. Take care and will ck. in again maybe. It helps to keep me on my way.Have a great day.

Hi there, fellow mountain-climbers--

I'm determined to go to Curves today. I worked too late to go yesterday, so I'll make this quick so that I have no excuses. I snuck back onto the scale this morning: 233. I hate having to my ticker up I will wait to see where I am by Sunday. This will be motivational, I hope, to keep ignoring the H'ween candy in the office.

Tired--Plateaus are a drag, yeah? Maybe it will also give you a chance to catch your breath and see how far you've come....

Carol, I hope you're having fun with the birthday boy!

Marie, thanks for understanding how I think...

judy