Hi everyone, well my trip to San Jose is over and I learned a lot. It's sort of overwhelming and I need to review the book we covered so that more of i sinks in. I did not do good in the eating department. I have this mentality that if I'm spending money to eat out, I should get what I really want. So I did. It was really yummy, but not good for the waist. Since I haven't been really good eating wise for about a onth, it's not too surprising that I had what I wanted.

I have been exercising though. Lots of regular walking. Now that the rainy season is here in the desert, I'll probably have to dust off the exercycle and use it occasionally. I don't like walking on wet dirt roads. Yucky.

Judy, I'm sorry you had to move your tracker in the wrong direction. If I would have the nerves to get on the scale, I know I would have to too. So your not alone in this never ending battle.

Carol, how is your friend doing? My mom is having back surgery and having a metal thingie put in on Tuesday. Last year I flew to be with her when she was having surgery, but this year, my parents haven't asked and I didn't wantto go to Minnesota. So we'll see how it goes.

Well, that's about it for now. Drawing is going pretty good, but I was out of town for class this week. Luckily, the class was cancelled due to instructor illness, so I didn't miss anything. I haven't been knitting or doing stained glass. I just haven't felt like it. Mostly I've been a couch potato and that's not like me. I think I need to get back in front of my lightbox. The depression side of bipolar has moved in. Not too badly, just a little bit.

Well, talk to you later and hope everyone is having a great day.
Marie

Welcome back, Marie! I've never thought of rainy seasons in the desert, and muddy roads. Wear good shoes and walk away those extra calories you ate in San Jose. I hope that you tackle the depression right away. You have the tools--the lightbox, knitting, art and 3FC!

Carol, congrats on the loss . Did you have fun shopping?

I am happy move my slider to the right again, down two more pounds. I've been eating pretty well this weekend, and working out. Thursday and Friday were impossible days, but I managed not to totally pig out. I read Pamela Peeke's Body for Life for Women and am feeling very motivated. Traveling again Wed-Sat, so I will have ample opportunities to practice my new-found coping skills.

Tired and everyone, I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

judy

Marie so good to hear from you. Sometimes its hard especially when we are away to make the good choices how well we all know that. At any rate be strong and remember your wants, needs and desires to lose wt. along with feeling better. You can do this! Depression is so hard and when it sucks us in its not good. So be strong get involved with your creative ways and beat this thing. Have you tried vit. B complex its good for many things including stress. I am putting myself on it! My thoughts are with you! You can do it! Your doing great with your exercise oh rain yuk! But better than snow I will get soon.
Judy glad to hear about your loss. I ate some good things and made some good choices but also a few bad choices. I ate out on our way back from shopping and took half home for the hubby. Now that was a good choice. The bad choice was some blueberry pie. But after all it was here what did I expect. I told the hubby to finish it up today. If its not gone its going in the freezer and I will pull it out at a later date. Sounds like your getting it together Judy hurray for you! I haven't read that book but on another site it was mentioned too. I will have to ck it out. I will be near a library today so maybe I will scoot in.
Marie I am knitting a Thomas the train sweater for my 4 year old grandson for christmas. Knitting the design in is like working a cross word puzzle. Maybe it will keep my hands from munching. I finished my grey sweather for winter just in time. It came out nice haven't tried it on yet but I am blocking it now.
Tired I miss yah hope everything is going okay?????????????
Have a great one girls.

It's another beautiful, sunshine-y day here in DC. I'm really making myself take advantage of it by walking outside. I'm having a pretty good Monday so far. Woke up early, did a 20-minute meditation and had a short walk on my way to work. Pilates tonight.

Carol, congratulations on not totally pigging out in Amish country! I'm from northeast Ohio, and I know that the old-fashioned country food is a special treat. I think you did well to indulge a little but use strategies to end it instead of heading off on a binge.

Marie, Tired, hope you are having a great day!

judy

Hi everyone, I'm so glad that I'm part of this group. You both are so upbeat. Congrats to both of you on doing so well eating wise. Carol, the Amish trip sounded like fun. I think that if I had blueberry pie in my house, I'd munch on it. Judy, way to go on the 2 pound loss. You are so motivating.

It is snowing - and snowing some more. We have about 2-3 inches so far. I think I'm going to have to go out into it for a walk. I haven't walked since Friday and I can feel that I'm slipping out of the routine.

I ate good yesterday. All right, not good, but within my calorie range. I had little to eat at meals and then had two chocolate chip cookies. Still I was way within the calories. That's a first in quite a while. So far today I'm doing good, but it's only 11:00 in the morning. I plan on doing good. Luckily I'm not at work so that makes it so much easier.

Well, I will talk with you all later. Have a great Monday!
Marie

Marie staying in your calorie range is important and if you add a few extras I figure its not a real problem. By the way I was at the natural food store yesterday and found out you shouldn't take your vit. B's too close to the evening hours. They are also known to give you more energy and spunk. So it may intrupt your sleep pattern. I started on a vit. yesterday that the gal said will help me. It wasn't cheap but worth a try. I have thyroid disease and high blood pressure so on extra meds. This vit. is advanced daily w/CoQ10 she said it will be good for me, my hair etc. It removes chemials from your system (A Vitamin/Mineral Anti-Oxidant Formula). We'll see how it goes for a month or two. If I feel any different and if it seems to help me with my thin hair problem. It has 800 mg. of folic acid. Oh well anything is worth a try. Marie we had snow a couple of weeks ago for one day. Now its been in the 60's even 70 over the weekend. We are going to get some changes so they say on wed. Have a fun walk in the snow the pups will love it.
As far as food calories went I stayed with in my calories yesterday. I made some pancakes and sausage for dinner. Once in awhile its nice to have a breakfast dinner. At anyrate I tried to becareful with the syrup and used some of my homemade grape jam. I had a 1/2 cup of Turkey Hill Carb Q ice cream mint choc. chip (120 cls. 3 gr. sugar) Ck it out girls its a nice treat. I have some small 1/2 cup purex dishes I keep for limited desserts etc. For me it helps that I can only have what fits neatly in that bowl. Tricks to help me! I don't like to think I can't have something. It works better if I have what I want but with in the limits. Judy I need to follow you with the exercise I did some gardening on sunday with our beautiful weather conditions before the storm hit. I even have a blister to prove my hard efforts. But need to get to the gym. Tonight I am doing a little second job so no time. I will get there wed. and fri.
Well off to work soon. I packed a salad last night. Tonight I will take a client out for dinner so I need to becareful with my calories for breakfast, lunch and count in the dinner calories before ordering. Have a great day. Tired your missed!

Hi Carol, I have to agree with you on a breakfast dinner. Every once in a while, it's the best. Your's sounded good. good luck on hitting the gym. I'm not good at going places to work out. The Vitamin B sounds interesting. I do try to take a daily V in the mornings. At night it gives me restless night's sleep.

We did go for a walk with the dogs - up the mountain path. There was about 5" of snow and I thought I was going to keel over when we were done. We went the whole hike we usually do. Today, my legs are a little achy from trudging through the snow. When I wok up this morning, there had to be 10" of snow on the ground. My Durango's doors were all ice over and wouldn't budge. Took my 20 minutes to get in the vehicle (DH had to come out and pry the hatch open and climb through it). I sure hope this isn't a sign of the winter to come. Usually we don't hardly get any snow for the whole season.

I was good on eating yesterday and so far today. Looks like I'm a bit back on track. I hope it sticks!!!!!

TTYL.
Marie

Oh Marie you just reminded me of the snow and weather I am in for soon! Yuk! It is pretty to watch sometimes when your in front of the fire, knitting or reading and have no place to go. But for the most part yuk!
The vit. B can give you extra energy and that will disrupt your sleep so I take it in the morning and with lunch. We'll see how it goes. I am trying to stay healthy this winter and this may help with stress levels when their at a high. My close friend is going through a really rough time and I feel her level of stress reflecting a bit on to me. I want to support her but I will have to watch myself. Last night I ate rye toast in the late evening why? I guess extra energy stress was brewing. So I have caught myself hopefully in time to be more careful next time. I had a pretty healthy day til then. I did manage to get in a little walk last night but nothing to measure up to yours. Good for you sounded a bit like a walk I had around the lake last year. When I was done slipping and sliding I knew exercise was surely completed. I am starting my cold morning off with a bowl of healthy heart oatmeal and 1 slice of rye toast. I will work on getting my water intake in, workout at the gym and a healthy lunch and dinner. I have my friend coming for dinner and planned to grill chicken, steam cabbage and bake a sweet potatoe to share. Nothing too fancy just good food.
Have a great day and keep up the good walks. I will do the scale on saturday again this week it helps me be better on friday if I wait.

Hi Carol, the rye toast probably didn't throw your day off too much. Even loaded with butter, a slice isn't too many calories. But, it's good that you took notice so it doesn't become routing.

Sorry about your friend. Must be pretty bad for the stress to be rubbing off on you. Good thing to know that you're a good friend, though.

I was good yesterday and so far today I'm doing pretty good. I even brought lunch so that I can eat with DS's GF tonight. I think I'm getting back on track.

Work is irritating me today. Sometimes it's amazing how many techno illiterate people think they know what they're doing and then break things. Then those same people complain that the technology dept isn't doing their job because their system isn't working. Well, don't break it is what I want to yell at them. So I'm trying to calm down and not reach for food. I'm also sitting in front of my lightbox hoping it'll instantly make me happier.

Well, I should work again. TTYL.
Marie

Marie wish I had yah in my office to work on my computer. It sounded like an airplane coming in for a landing. I called the guy he came with in the next day. It was of course the fan. He replaced it I was hoping for a whole new computer. Mine is really old wish we had lap tops for when we are out of the office it would be great. It seems like we just transfer so many things which could be taken care of on the spot. In January I guess there changing something and we should beable to forward our reports we write instead of making lots of copies etc. I look forward to the change but everyone else does not. Oh well!
Glad to hear your eating is coming along with your exercise sounds great. I had a better day yesterday. Food intake was good. I normally try to stay within 300 cals for breakfast unless I am eating out like today. Then for lunch around 3-400 and save the rest for a decent dinner and snack. I feel good taking my new vit. I think have given me more energy that was suppose to happen so I am glad it did. I will pack a lunch and do most days. Chicken is going in the crock pot for dinner no fuss. I am going to get my butt to the gym. Yesterday we had a storm and I came right home, lightening raining cats and dogs. Keep up the good work it will pay off.
Judy hope your doing well.
Tired where are you???????????

Hi Carol, when I read your breakdown of calories, I do a lot the same, except sometimes I switch lunch and dinner calorie amounts if I'm going to be home alone in the evenings. I did pretty good today. I made a great dinner but it's not high fat - what fat there is is from olive oil so that's not too bad.

I love lightening storms. They are so magical. I don't like the rain though. It's better than the fog we've had all week after the snow - doesn't let the sun through to melt the icky stuff.

After the hike through the snow on Monday, I came home and ordered new snow boots made for hiking from Lands End. They just came today and they are great. I'm excited to go hiking tomorrow morning.

Well, talk to you later.
Marie

Marie sounds like your doing well keep it up. I need new play boots too! Lands End stuff last forever. Our Sears store carries thier stuff. Talking about magical lightening storms there was the most beautiful rainbow I have ever seen yesterday morning at 7 on my way to work. The colors were so vivid. The bule was almost turquoise really cool I am glad it started my day. I love nature and all the extra lovely things that come with it. I could do without some of it or I'd like to put a timer on somethings like snow storms so everyone is home safe. My youngest works the late **** at the paper in photo imagining she is out til 1:00 a.m.. I hate the fact she is working and driving that late. Oh well there is only 1 paper I guess.
Anyways I jumped on the scale no loss but no gain so I WILL take it. I have indulged a bit this week not bad but yesterday had pizza for dinner. The thing is I ate it of course and the calories really weren't worth it. But to late to take that back. At anyrate yesterday I did a few good things. I ate breakfast out had my 2 poached eggs, dry rye, and only ordered 1/2 of the potatoes. Now thats 2 weeks in a row so maybe a new habit forming I hope so. I go with a friend for breakfast 1 time a wk. Today we are all meeting from my office to have lunch at a chinese rest. and a meeting. My office is closed as its located in a State Building. So I will be working at different sites throughout my day kind of crazy but okay. I am planning on being careful of my choices as this is a buffet. For breakfast I am having 1 piece of raisan bread with a little canola marg, coffee and oatmeal. less than 300 cals. I'll save up for lunch and dinner I will reverse with lunch today less cals. At least I kept my 1/2 lb. off from last week. I may do the scale again on sunday as I did have some salty stuff so it could be a little water wt. HAH HAH! Trying to talk myself into that one huh?
Have a great day.

I had chinese for lunch yesterday and I am up in wt. this a.m.. I hope it is just from the MSG and salt etc... I thought I was being careful compared to what others were eating? Oh well time will tell I guess. I am going to be a good girl this weekend thats for sure. The scale isn't always the friendliest thing but it helps me want to be better. I am making a little chart to help me with my exercise and water intake. Hopefully with a bit of effort it will work. I am planning some outdoor walks this weekend. Our weather is going to be in the 60's this is unheard of for central NY in Nov. Our world is surely messed up. A barn blew away with that tornado that whipped through our area last week. Not the damage some areas got but scary. Talk to you all soon hope things are going well.

Hi Carol, I bet that half pound is gone today. Chinese food is pretty salty from my understanding (I don't eat it). Your weather sounds great. Ours is crappy. It's raining and yucky again today. I agree with you that the world is screwed up - I live in the desert and we've had a lot of moisture in the last couple weeks.

I've been okay food wise - walking is out because I won't go out in the rain. So I have to do something else and I haven't been motivated.

I don't have much planned today other thant to watch football with the family. So have a great day and I'll chat with you tomorrow.
Marie

Hi, I'm back from the wilderness. I've been very busy at work, and meaning to pop in and say hi, but I think of our thread during the weirdest times, while I'm in the shower or on the subway....for once I remembered at a time when I have a moment and am in front of a computer.

I was away at a conference for several days. It was at a beautiful location in West Virginia, but of course we spent most of the time inside. My eating was erratic, to put it kindly, but I did work out a bit. I'm struggling and not earning any smiley faces for eating totally on program these days but I am still walking, going to Curves and Pilates, and meditating most mornings or evenings, so all is not lost. I need to establish (or re-establish) a program for myself, but it will be hard to build up any momentum these next few weeks--two trips to New York, and trips to Cleveland and Atlanta, all before Christmas.

Anyway, I'm sorry I've been delinquent. I always do better when I check in here almost every day. Hope you are having a good week!

judy