2oM, nope.

--lauren

Gack. Up two pounds this week. Yes, TOM encroacheth. Yes, it's hopefully just water and will go away soon. Yes, it bums me out. Yes, I want to eat everything in sight. No, I'm not going to.

--Lauren
(274/218.5/DOWN, some day)

Hello Everyone,
I am new to this site and I really love it. I like how you guys just talk about your week and how it's going. I sometimes can see my friends looking a little bored at my stories of what I ate over the weekend. (They mean well!)
I have been going to WW for about 4 weeks now (this time!) and have lost 9 pounds. I need to lose 135! I try not to look at it that way, but just so you all know where I am. I go to Monday night meetings which is hard because the weekends are so hard for me. I guess it's the only time I have to relax a little and I tend to think more about food. I had my family over to dinner this weekend and totally overate. I made Mexican food (my first mistake). I did make 7-layer dip with all non-fat ingredients and it was FABULOUS and without guilt!
I WI last night and even though I did not stay OP and it's also that TOM (am I getting all the acronyms?? :-)), I lost .8! I was very hapy about that!! I almost didn't go and I am SO glad I did.
Well, thanks for listening (or reading). I look forward to writing and reading again soon!


------------------
Lis

Greetings everyone, and a special hello to Lisa Marie. I know what you mean about friends tuning out when you talk about WW. This is a great place. Hope you'll visit often.

As you can see from my smilies, I am having another good week...so far. I have been writing in my emotions journal a lot, though, because TOM has arrived and I'm cranky and tired. It really helps me to acknowledge the feelings in writing. Then I can recognize it for what it is and not try to use food to deal with it.

I've become the candy-godmother at work this week. Someone at work put out one of those boxes of $1 candy bars for a fund raiser. Everyone at the office always supports my kids fund raisers, so I like to help them out too. Since I'm not going to eat the candy, I buy a bar and just leave it on someone's desk with a thank-you note. You can't believe how nice people are being to me this week . I did have to tell one co-worker, though, that she would have been the first on my list for a bar, but I know she's watching her weight, so I just thanked her for all her hard work. She seemed to appreciate it.

Lauren - Is is possible to stay off the scale during TOM? I ask because it's not possible for me, but maybe someone a bit stronger..... I'm there with you and it really does bite. Congrats on the baggy jeans and the Jane Fonda workout. My Tae-bo is going so-so. Some days I can finish it, and some days I have to fast forward to the end. I keep trying to visualize the day when I can go straight through without a problem, but it seems like a fantasy right now.

Hope y'all have a great Valentine's Day tomorrow.

Michele

Wow , Michelle , you most certainly are very virtuous . I'm just catching up on things from the last 5 days , or so . You've had alot of temptations , that most of us would have caved on . Pizza , fries , & chocolate bars (my favorite) . The pizza wouldn't tempt me , though . You are doing super !
Welcome , Lisa Marie . I know any amount of needed weight loss seems enormous (especially above 100) , but you'll be surprised how fast the initial bulk goes . There are a whole lot of big losers here . I have lost 109.4 pounds . I have lost more at times , but have gained & lost some . I have aprox. 50 pounds more to go . Your acronyms are fine , too .
I lost the pound I gained , so that was good . This is the first time i've felt like getting on-line in 5 days . I have the worst case of flu i've ever had . I was sick wednesday . okay thurs & fri . Sicker than a dog sat , sun , mon , & today . Hopefully , tomorrow i'll wake up feeling all better . I'm really sick of dry toast , applesauce , gatorade & suppositories . Can you say ICK ! The only good thing is , with me getting in so little points , I think I can safely expect a loss this week .
I hope I didn't gross you all out too much . Kathy

Hi, Lisa. You're in the same boat we've all been in. I started last April with 125 to lose. I just hit the half-way point this month (65 lb. gone) & I'm trying not to think about the rest of it... Especially since tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

I went out & bought Hershey's Kisses to keep on my desk for everyone to munch on. I think I'll be able to resist them, but... Then DH decided to take me to dinner (& he hates eating out on Valentine's Day). The good news is he decided we should go to Red Lobster so at least I can go for crab instead of steak!

Hope your temptations are far & few between tomorrow!


------------------
Gizzi
275/209/140ish

Wow, Gizzi -- halfway there! I didn't really think about that, but I'm almost halfway there, too. How interesting.

Michele, you're a sweetie. I'll have to remember that one.

Lisa Marie, welcome!

I'm actually only one pound up this week, which is pretty good considering TOM (which just arrived). I can deal with that. I'm home today too, Kathy -- bad cold. So much for going out to eat tonignt -- I won't taste a thing! Ah well. We'll just have to have our celebration this weekend. Get well soon, OK?

--Lauren
(274/217.5/down)

I'm giving myself a smiley for today already because I earned it!

Today was a very rough day for me. Not because of v-day, but just because I was in a 'mood' brought on by TOM, a sore throat, being tired, and a nagging foot injury, and a strong desire not to be at work. I wrote 4 pages in my emotions journal today. Just the usual whining, but it did keep me away from the vending machine at work, which I was not at all mentally willing to do. I did take 2 biite size muskateers from a co-workers candy jar, but I counted them and stopped there. I was starving by the time I got home. DH agreed to postpone the romantic dinner thing until the weekend, and the whole family went out to Applebees. Luckily we got there by 5, because by 6, there was a long wait. I had the veggie quesidilla and a salad and feel very satisfied. I still have a few points left for popcorn later. Tomorrow's my day off, so I'm looking forward to a much better day. I will say that the thought of not being able to put that smiley on my chart really kept me from the vending machine. I'm glad I started it.

Kathy - I was wondering where you were. Sorry you feel so bad. We had what we called the Y-chromosone flu go through our house...only the guys got it. I hope you felt better today.

Gizzi - How'd it go with the Kisses on your desk? I think most days I could have handled it, but today would have been hard. I didn't realize you were at your half-way point. That is great! I know what you mean about not thinking about the rest of it. I try not to look past the next 5 pounds. If I do, I just get overwhelmed.

Lauren - Sorry to hear you have a cold, too. Get better!

TTFN
Michele

Hi Everyone,
Thanks so much for welcoming me with open arms! It's so fun to get to this page and see that people are writing to me!
Valentine's Day is a little depressing for me since I have no significant other, but I've been okay today. Only 1 Hershey's Kiss! (I brought some in to the office today too. Why do we do this to ourselves???)
Anyway, there is a lot of candy floating around the office today and to only have 1 piece is a huge accomplishment for me!
Had the veggie soup for lunch...a big VAT of it!!! Doing very well OP today and proud of it...can you tell?
Have a good evening everyone.
Lis

Well, I think I only had 3 of them. Of course, that was in addition to the 2 I received as "gifts" (dropped on my desk by Valentine Fairies), the two cookies from the reception, the cookie I had planned for my lunch dessert... But actually point-wise I think I came out okay (or close anyway). At one point I found myself unwrapping candy a little too easily so I grabbed a Hershey Tastations to suck on. It stopped the kiss-snatching, probably because it tasted better.

Our dinner plans fell through because of a dead car battery. Had rib tips & fries for dinner instead. Hard to do a point count on rib tips, but I gave it my best shot. I will say that these filled me up faster than they used to.

Good for you, Lauren, & your strength of denial. I go for the Oriental chicken salad everytime I go to Applebees. Only thing I like better there is a gyros which is even worse. Guess where we don't go very often.

------------------
Gizzi
275/209/140ish

Hey, folks! Long time, no check in. I don't think I've posted since I was at my old job and I've been three weeks at my new employer.

It's been a pretty wild and interesting 3 weeks. My first day, I flew to Dallas for two days of meetings with a client. I felt so stressed out on the first Monday at my new job I thought I'd have a heart attack! On the more positive side, though, having no real work at first, no laptop, no obligations, I got lots of time to exercise in Dallas at the hotel. That was great, and the first time I've ever taken advantage of exercise equipment in a hotel. A good breakthrough, since I travel a fair amount.

My commute has dropped from about 1 hr each way to 20 minutes, so I've been getting up about the same time each morning and exercising before I eat breakfast. It's great! I think I'm becoming an exercise junkie. All things considered, it's probably the best thing to be addicted to.

My new job is with a company that's going through some growing pains. They've doubled in size in the last year and hope to grow almost as significantly this year. That puts a lot of stresses on an organization, to say the least. I was concerned that I might be in a bit over my head with the position I stepped into, but I'm finding that I am up to the challenge. It's been great finding that out.

Glad to read about all of you folks!

Judy
338/244/175

(big grin = entire week OP)

Good morning everyone! I knew it was going to be a good week on Thursday when I put on a pair of pants that last week were a little snug in the waist and they were loose. I actually took them off to check to make sure they were the same pair of pants . Just back from WI and I'm down 3.2 this week, 41 total. More importantly, I had 2 losses in a row, and proved to myself if I commit to this program it will work for me. I so want to get out of my whiny, why me mind set. I think this success is a step in the right direction.

Judy - Long time no hear. Three years ago, I left a job with a very large company to go with a start up. It has been a very interesting ride. The advice I wish someone had given me, was to not look for heirarchy and organizational permission, but it's probably not there. Take the bull by the horns and do what you need to do. It's a lot more rsponsibility, but the rewards are much greater, too.

Gizzi - I like the Tastations, too. I like the chocolate mint ones. They remind me of a thin mint cookie, but last much longer.

Lisa Marie - One piece of candy on valentine's day is a big accomplishment. Congratulations. I found myself goig into the kids goody bags from school and ended up throwing them out. I don't do very well with chocolate temptation. Sounds like you're doing great with your choices. Keep up the good work.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Michele

joody0756: Congrats on the job. It may be a little scary at times, but think of how you can feel a sense of accomplishment and independence. Afterall, you did it on your own!

ME2: You must feel great it be able to have previously snug pants now loose. Keep up the good work.

2oM