This waiting is driving me crazy! I am already taking care of my other two grandkids and I sure would like to know what he meant when he said he would call right back-that was an hour and a half ago. Already got Dad lined up to drive me out there-it is about an hour away from me and my poor car Mabel wouldn't make it and plus my Dad is a rock. I tried calling her house too and just got a machine and the beep lasted quite a bit too. But on the upside I have not gone to the refidgerator! Something like this normally would send me into an eating frenzy but it looks like I am just going to worry like a skinny person this time.
Melissa

I have some newfound motivation today, realizing how close to the holidays it is getting. I told myself when I first found this board that I want to feel and look different when I walk into holiday parties and get togethers, and so far I haven't gotten very far. I am just determined to get as close to 200 as I can before the new year. I have set some ambitious goals which I feel are possible if I really push and demand a lot of myself. If I fall short I will still be happy, but this is my ideal for the rest of the year:

1. Reach 230 by Thanksgiving---this would be 2 lbs. a week for the next 10 weeks.
2. Reach 220 by Christmas---roughly 10 lbs. in a month.
3. Take off a couple more before end of year.

I have thought about all the holiday goodies but really I don't feel tempted. I want to feel and look better more than I want the goodies. Sweets are becoming more and more undesirable anyway, so I am hoping I won't be as tempted as in years before. These are the things I will be doing to get to these goals:

1. Very strict on getting in my 2 workouts a day, which includes a mix of strength and cardio.
2. 4 of my jugs of water (not sure how much it is, but it's a good amount) per day.
3. 5 small meals per day. I have a little plate that I am eating off, and for each little meal I can fill the plate, but not all the way to the edges and piling up is not allowed. I will be using a method I found in body for life, measuring according to my fist or open palm.
4. Since emotional eating will be my biggest challenge, I have already decided that I'll clean instead of eat. This really does work, it takes out the frustration. If smaller chores don't work I'll get out a rag and bucket and scrub the floors by hand. For some reason that works best to clear my head.

I am determined to get to the end of the year feeling better about myself. I want to look better and have people say "oh, look at Theresa!" and for this year the reason not to be "look how much weight she's gained!" I dont want that this year and I am going to do something about it. Nothing is going to just drop on my lap, I have to chase after it!

Anyone else want to set a challenge for the end of the year? Just ask yourself where you would like to be come holidays, set a goal and decide how you will get there...then join me! I think it's important to lay out exactly HOW you will get there, that is a big help for me.

Theresa

Melissa,
I am thinking about you all afternoon. I hope you can bring the baby home and then I wish you the strength you will need to deal with all the kids.
Maybe an arrest will serve to knock some sense into your daughter. Sometimes our darlings need to hit bottom in order to pull themselves together. Maybe this will be her wakeup call. But right now the baby needs the help. Stay strong.
Laura

Ok the good news is that she isn't in jail. Apparently her boyfriend has a warrant for not going to court and now she is responsible for his 6000 bond. She also told the bondsman that she is being evicted and man it is all I can do to stay out of it. I did call her and left a message so whether she calls me back or not, I don't know. But all through this I DID NOT EAT! I think this has to be a first for me. Thanks to everyone for keeping me in their thoughts! I still need it until this is resolved one way or the other.

Good goals Theresa! Mine is to be under 200 by Christmas which means I would have to lose less than 10 a month to make it. If I really keep it together, I should be able to do it no problem. I guess since my heart is now not pounding as hard, I should do something productive around here. Waiting bites.
Melissa

Hang in there, Melissa. You can get through this without overeating. YOU CAN! YOU CAN! YOU CAN! I believe in you, so hang strong. The good thing is it's no your daughter in jail, so at least you have that worry behind you.

Theresa

I just spoke to her on the phone. She was very evasive with me and denied everything the bondsman told me. It just kills me but I did get to hear Logan in the background. I haven't seen him since he was a week old. I feel robbed. I did stay away from the fridge and truthfully I just want a nap. My heart doesn't even beat like that when I excersize LOL. Thanks everyone!
Melissa

First- Melissa, I am so sorry you had a rough day with the daughter situation.
I never knew having older kids would be so difficult until all heck broke loose at my house last year with my 20 YO. I think you are so awesome not running to the fridge and eating.

theresa- so wonderful you set goals - It made me realize I don't push myself enough either and I need to.
where I work I have to plan and order and arrange everything and do schedules months in advance . today I was finishing the Oct. calendar and I also realized how close the holidays/end of the year are. This is the time when i start carrying around a large bright pink notebook with calendar pages and things to do lists in it. I started my october lists and calendar and every day except Sunday I am scheduling in an exercise session and I made some pages that have alot of motivational saying on them. I also made pages to go in for a food diary. Every October 1st I buy either bright pink or purple notebook so I can keep track of everything. ( the kids hate the notebook - MOOOOOOMMMM you are so ICK with the notebook) the Notebook keeps grocery lists, parties scheduled, gifts to buy, lists of what work I have to get done at the job etc.. ok rambling again sorry-
anyway what I am trying to get to in a round about way is that I have put my goals in writing -I would like to lose 8-10 pounds a month between now and my 43rd birthday in January. 24-30 pounds GONE
I am going to see the liver doc. tomorrow- he's the one who said I can't lose any weight because of my liver . well he's wrong (HA!) and it may be harder with type 2 and a liver disease but I will LOSE THE WEIGHT.
Have a good night everyone- Thank you for supporting me in my journey! You all are fantastic!

I am so glad to see I am not the only one with all the notebooks! I got one that is my food diary and mini thoughts, a bigger one for my devotions and thoughts feelings ect and then another one with a running grocery list and menus, not to mention just a regular calandar for appts ect and then just the running list of chores I need to do that day. Must be a forty something-LOL I turn 42 in Feb.

Odessa dumped water in my phone so now tomorrow I get to go buy a new one. It was on its last leg anyway (it gets a workout) and I tried drying it ect but it still is toast. I had to move my Batty bird because she also won't leave him alone. Up on the counters everytime I turn around-Man I had forgotten toddlers!

I am so glad there are several of us buckling down and setting some definate goals for ourselves. I know personally, I am tired of "playing" with the same few pounds and would like to just see a downward spiral. I really would like to walk in during the holidays and family members to say "WOW!! Girl you look awesome!" I just want to see the underside of 200-it has been 9 years since I have been under that weight. My heaviest was when I joined this site. I feel so fortunate to have found all of you. I don't get out much and you all have been so supportive and given me great tips and shared the happy with the sad and mad. You gals are awesome!
Melissa

Hi All
The month is half over and i have just totally wasted the last 3 days by feeling sorry for myself and eating stupidly. I am ready to buckle down and stop. I feel so much better when I am OP, so tomorrow is definately another day and I will be OP and I too would like to look good by the end of the year. Let's try together.
Melissa, I'm glad the day ended better than it started for you.
Laura

Hi Ladies!
Haven't had much time lately, but I have been keeping up on reading posts.
My name is Kathy and I am a scale addict! So I agree with only having WI once a month-if I can keep myself off of the darn thing! Maybe I should have hubby hide it? Don't know if I'm strong enough to ask him to do that?

Ya'll are doing super! It is great to see those who are having a tough day or two keep going and going-we can't let a slip up on calories or exercise slow us down!

Melissa-I'm glad your daughter wasn't in any trouble. You are such a wonderful mom/grandma to take care of those two little ones along with Josh!

Theresa-I'm going to join you on this challenge! My goal for Thanksgiving will be 215(-20 lbs) and 205 by Christmas. My big goal is 200 by the end of the year. I will get my notebook out in the morning and write this all out, along with my exercise and food goals. WE CAN DO THIS!!

I'll check in with you all after my morning walk!

Kathy

melissa i'm so glad you're daughter is not in jail. you did great by not letting worrying deter you from your diet goal. you definitely have enough to worry about already, so she can deal with the wayward bf. whew!
laura, hang in there.. it will get easier. everyday is a new day and you can start fresh. we can have brownies today and broccoli tomorrow. that's what i'm going to do anyway. personally, i had a brownie today
well i can't believe how late it is. hope y'all have a great op day tomorrow (today)

My first goal is to stay OP till Thanksgiving. If I set a weight number goal, I might be disappointed cause it doesn't come off the way I expect and then I flip out and go off.
Within that goal, I need to know that i will stay OP in all circumstances- stress, company, eating out, kids home, etc. That's the hardest part for me
My second goal is to try and move more. It has been hard cause Lyme disease leaves me tired and aching, but I can still go for a walk, no more excuses!
My third goal is start each day by coming to this site and posting something, and then coming back later in the day. My computer is on all day so that's easy.

I must say that I realize how much harder it is for those of us with kids at home than for empty nesters like me. My son and DIL were here for 2 nights and the amount of food that was prepared was so much more than just for my cooperative DH and me.
They are coming back tonight and I wil stay OP. If they need dessert they can go to an ice cream place themselves. I'm not bringing anything into this house that will make my life harder. Selfish, but necessary right now.
I hope everyone has a good day.
Laura

Not selfish Laura not at all. I have also quit bringing anything into the house that might cause me to stumble. If it were a spouse that needed a special diet we would think nothing of it to not have certain foods in the house and completely change the way we cook ect. We are just as important as those in our family and in many ways I think more important because of all that we do for our family.

My daughter's boyfriend probably got arrested last night. The bondsman called me about 9p and they were on their way to pick him up. Not sure what this is going to do for Kate. I am trying not to think about it and just wait and see what happens. I just wish the kid would wake up and smell the coffee cause it is DONE!

I got to move my ticker down one pound and I feel confident that I can make my september goal and my longer term one too. I just feel very determined and if I can make it through all the stress of yesterday without hitting the fridge, I can make it through the two birthdays coming up ect. I am fortunate that I cook WW and the relatives don't even know that is what they are getting-LOL and they go on about how yummy the meal was. That is one thing I like about WW-real meals, real food, and something for everyone's tastes. I can't believe how domestic I have become! Never thought it would happen.

I will check in later today. Need to get groceries-again. I have tried to talk the kids into eating in shifts or alternate days but they just won't bend on it at all.

Melissa

Oh my...I feel like I've missed so much here! It sounds like pretty much everybody is having more than their share of problems. I'm no exception, it's been a very difficult few days here. Wednesday morning (the day my youngest son left for Iraq) we got word that a young man who graduated a couple of years ahead of him was killed in Iraq on September 11th. Jeremy worked with our oldest son at the Steak House while they were in high school. He was in the Army, but did the same job that our son will be doing for the Marine Corps. That news combined with the fact that our son was leaving really put me into a bit of a tailspin for a few days. I am doing better now and trying to get back on track....especially after the comment my husband made this morning, he asked "just how much weight have you lost anyway???" He's barely said a word about the diet and exercise thing! I told him that I had lost 15 pounds and asked if it showed and he said "Yeah, it really shows!" Hooray for me! So stick with it everyone...it does pay off!

Suzy, so very sorry about your son leaving combined with that horrible news and jumping up and down that your husband recognized the weight loss. He gave you some motivation right when you really needed it, that's awesome. You are doing so well under these circumstances...feel proud!

I'm glad others are joining me and setting personal goals for the end of the year and/or holidays. Whether you set number goals or action goals or both, you will succeed and be so much happier with yourself come 2006! I did my first official friday WI and of course I'm still at 250 for the third week in a row. It's okay, I am glad I didn't gain and now I'm on track with my new challenge so I will see it going down next week, I'm sure. How I did today on the goals:

2 Exercise Sessions--I spent the entire day on hands and knees scrubbing floors by hand so i am counting that as one exercise session. I definitely sweated more than I do during some exercises. For the second, I'll be doing 4 miles on the gazelle while watching Big Brother at 8.

4 jugs water--2 down, 1 more will go down while exercising and I will inhale the other while getting ready for bed...on schedule as far as the times I normally get them into the day.

5 small meals--done! We did go to Taco Bell for supper, I was so tired from scrubbing floors and didn't want to load the dishwasher (lazy, I know lol)...but I got a chicken quesadilla and only ate the portion that fit on my little plate. This is the area I've been struggling, so I'm pleased with myself.

OHHH Big Brother is on, time to exercise...catch ya all later

Theresa