Hello all!

Glad to see the page is back up, had to leave about 9:30 --

Shuttle accident is so horrible-- We take for granted that the rockets ( shuttles) go up and come back- but we really don't see how many things could go wrong until these tragedies.

But the astronauts knew - - How brave!


Today's thought was chosen hours before the accident and it's from someone who may have never even seen a plane fly much less a shuttle and yet, I see a link--


Humankind has not woven the web of life. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.--- Chief Seattle

Happy Groundhog Day!

Sunday and the scale is most depressed to report a 5 lb loss! However the former owner of those 5 is doing a happy dance herself....before trodding of course.

Happy also to report that the seminar is going very well and is extremely interesting. The thorn is as obnoxious as ever but I'm just not responding. Sometimes passive resistance is best!

So am off to the "mill" and then to some oatmeal and raspberries this a.m. Need to be fortified so I can pass up those huge bagels with cream cheese/jam/butter etc.

Have a great day Ladies...will cruise by later and check on y'all.

Ceara

Yo! Gonna opt out of the Valentine's challenge for the nonce! Had a sort of two-part weigh in. It is explained in my journal ... I'll still be lurking and posting until someone posts a St. Pat's challenge ... but I'm not up for Valentine's Day right now ... just want to stabilize my weight below this deuced 160 that I keep coming back to ... and stick to my exercise ... I'm calling my in-between personal challenge the Spring Fling and my personal St. Pat's Pledge when I make it will be my goal for March 16 (the day before St. Pat's Day!).

Kaylets: Be thou ok? There's no quote o' the day here and that worries me! Hope all is well!

Bye, all! I must away to the couch for a nap and then come back and work on deadline stuff. Very burnt out on this job and likely the deadline's gonna continue through tomorrow night (the ultimate last minute), as I just can't get it done!

Avanti![/SIZE]

Ever get tired of trying to be everything? Successfully employed, somewhat fashionably attired complete with a funky haircut and polished nails, smooth elbows, pedicured feet... tidy home, wonderful cook, husband to keep happy , survive the teenage years, try not to let office politics get to you....AND eat healthy, exercise, and try just for one moment of each day to actually accept yourself for who you are, and to **** with society if you can't live up to it's ridiculous standards?

Then you'll know just about where I'm sitting the last few days.

I spent yesterday in bed for the most part...when I wasn't eating that meat lovers pizza that hubby brought home. That's all I ate yesterday, you know...four slices of pizza. Oh, and an ice cream cone.

I don't know if it's winter depression or PMS or just a mental meltdown, but I'm ready to chuck it all and live in sweat pants in a messy apartment and collect some kind of government assistance. Maybe those people who work the system rather than actually working are on to something.

*sigh*

Okay, rant over...back to regularly scheduled programming....

Hey, congrats, Ceara! 5lbs is an amazing losss!

Amarantha, at least you were brave enough to get on the scale! I'm not going near it, no way no how! I hope you'll still post with us, even if you're adjusting your goals.

We have 12 days until this challenge is over. I think I'm going to do my best, and not weigh until then. It will be what it will be.

Ceara - five pounds is incredible. All those *s and t s are adding up to disappointment for the demon scale but joy for us.

Wilfire, my empathy to you! That's pretty much where I've been since Thursday (altho Friday not quite as bad). Just in doldrums, don't know where to go next, etc. I don't know if it's meltdown now that things are a mite more manageable (I'm known to fall apart after a crisis when it seems like I'd be more up) or winter doldrums, etc., etc. My Pollyanna seems to have taken a slight leave of absence. Am hoping for better from me tomorrow. I too indulged in some pizza today as princesses and their Momma were here (an event usually good for a burst of good feeling that lasts long after they're gone). Dinner tonight was grapefruit and a Slimfast bar and two cups of tea.

I'm thinking I just need some "ME" time. I did go to have hair done, etc. on Friday but it's probably over two months since I've done much else (other than squeezing in some V V time which I did do almost daily though sometimes in a stupor) that was "ME". It is two months today since dh had his medical emergency and it's been full tilt ever since and I think I'm just drained. But the miserable weather etc. has not helped. I think I'll take his dialysis time this week and devote it to my own thoughts, pursuits, whatever since he's driving himself. Except maybe on Wed. which is the day my sister's having her surgery. If I can work it out at all, I'd like to be with her dh while he's waiting.

Anyway, chalk your bed and pizza day down to a recharging and hopefully, we'll both feel like chucking the sweat pants in the morning.



Empress, hold on and follow whatever paths work for you while we await the St. Pat's challenge. I'm glad at least you had your sanctuary day yesterday.

Kaylets, now I'm concerned too. Two mornings in a row, no quotes! Hope it's just that you're having too much fun to get at it.

I'm started off with a Slimfast cappucino and a renewed focus. Not just on this food thing because I don't think I ended up TOO badly (but not good) yesterday. Just on things in general. Some sun just now and almost up to freezing and, after all, it's Monday and that's always my fresh start and reorganize and focus day.

Eleven days to go, nine till my final V V weigh in. Focus, focus, focus!

Mornin'!

Kaylets, where art thou?

Wildfire, yup sweats and assistance sounds fine to me. That'd be 4 of us, who's bringing the tea? Sometimes I think we just get too busy and therefore overwhelmed. I (in my old age and wisdom), am learning to say NO to a few things.

The weekend went well. Food wasn't a challenge really....the lunches were a bit more carby than I'd normally eat but they didn't kill me. Kept away from the breakfast fare and the desserts. Drank a LOT of water, brought my own fruit for p.m. snackies (cake and squares provided) and overall persevered. The information was riviting, and the chairs were killers so my mind wasn't on my stomach. Went to Jose's Noodle Factory last night for dinner...with Dh, Ds and parents...so I was eating after 7, but parents and I split 1 order of fahitas...so that was oK.

Didn't trod much...10 min on Sat and none on Sunday...big foot DS had gotten on and done something...couldn't get it to run, and at 6 a.m. no one else was going to! So was back on this a.m.

Frogger, glad to see your success!

Anagram, it is hard to stay motivated isn't it? The click seems to be working for me right now. Have you read Sarajoy's journal? I find it inspiring.

Am off now to gym...

Ceara

kaylets-now i'm worried too!!! Let us know everything is OK.

There's really nothing to report so far today. I'm having one of those hungry days. Luckily, I am at work and there are no temptations in my cabinets. I have had my breakfast and now I am chomping on a cup of dry SmartStart cereal (the last cup in the box). Actually, it's pretty good. I have no change and no ATM in our building so there will be no raiding of the vending machine down the hall. I shall perserver with my bottle of water and my snack of dry cereal until my lunchtime. There's no reason I should be hungry. My mom made dinner for us last night. She makes the best fried chicken and desided to make that. So I had a medium breast, some mashed potatoes and some green beans. That's a big meal for me now adays. I don't think I have eaten that much at one time since before I got the stomach flu! It was really yummy though. Can't do too much of that fried chicken though! It's sabitoge I tell you!!

Mini goals for the day, drink my water and take my walk at lunch. I'd also like to take a little walk this evening when I get home. We'll see on that one.

Quote for the day: "Life's a garden, dig it"
(Sorry I watched Joe Dirt last night!)



Start: 240
Current: 232
Goal: 170

I'm the owner of some spiffy new wheels!

I traded in my beloved car on Saturday - told it to be good to its new family and drove off in a 2003 Grand Vitara, fully loaded with 16 miles on it - it's an automatic, my first in 10 years! The bumper to bumper warranty covers me until 7 years/75k miles, and comes with complete roadside assistance. It's pearl (irridescent white) with silver trim and dark grey interior. Now if I could just quit trying to shift the darn thing!!!!

Anagram - I'm glad the Dowager feeling has passed... Perhaps you're feeling more Dutchess-y today??

Kaylets - Yes, Saturday was amazingly sad. I got up at 6:15am to get to the dealership early and 2 min. after I turned on the news is when they had the "breaking news" come on. After it sank in what "disappeared" meant, I just sat down and cried just a bit - then felt extremely proud of those people who knew it was so dangerous, but did it anyway for the sake of science and growth. We're going to call my aunt today to see if she saw or heard anything - she's in Mesquite, a suburb of Dallas.
I loved your quote too...

Ceara - Congrats on that awsome loss!!!!!!

Amarantha - I think a maintenance subgroup is a great idea! I personally don't mind if you're not participating in our Valentine's challenge - I know for me putting a deadline on weight loss can be stressful and often backfires on me. I know for a fact I'm not going to make it this time. I try to be encouraged by what I *did* do, but it's hard to not be down on myself for "yet another failed challenge". As long as you keep posting and don't disappear - THAT is what I care about!

Wildfire - I think what you have is called "major burnout". You needed that rest and pizza-fest. I'll grab my sweats and come over with everyone else...

Frogger - Isn't it amazing what we call a big meal now?? I had dinner with friends on Saturday night and had 2 small enchiladas and tortilla soup (which I couldn't finish) it was plenty! Normally I'm thinking "ok, you can go home and fill up" - but I was stuffed! I think that's progress that it takes less to fill us!
I love you quote too!

Well, I'm up a pound this week - not surprised considering.... No Curves all last week, no water most of the weekend, Carl's Jr. with Mom after my car stuff, dinner out Saturday (not to mention the 2 1/2 glasses of wine) and yesterday I cozied up with a bag of M&M's while watching 3 movies . I'll take advantage of the fact that it was *only* one pound and get my butt in gear for next week!

Hugs all!

Terri

Ceara, 5 POUNDS! You are the QUEEN! Come closer, maybe a little of that will rub off on us!

Amarantha, methinks your scale is possessed and in need of an exorcism. Stay away from it!

Wildfire, I'm coming over in my sweats too. Man, wouldn't that be a party? Hope you're feeling less overwhelmed now---sometimes you've just gotta let it wash over you and wallow in it. [I'm actually looking forward to my next meltdown for that very reason!]

Punkinseed, the new car sounds very cool. Is it not the sweetest thing to have so few miles on a car? Hey, I've been seeing those 'Curves' commercials---they almost make me cry every time [oh ****, okay, they do!]--they're really working that 'sisterhood is powerful' angle!

Hi Frogger and Anagram!

Completed my 30 days of Pilates experiment yesterday, and I liked it so much that I had my 31st day today!

Just popping in to say "Hi" -- I woke up 3:30 yesterday morning with a terrible cold. Unfortunately, I was hosting an Indian dinner party for 11 -- figures! It was a good party, even if I felt like crap. Today I barely got dressed, at least I've hit a time where I can take a day or two a bit easy, if not off. Take care, everyone!