Hey all...Well, I'm back from the land of the lost. Dh and I had a great day at the gym today. We both saw the nurse for evaluations and then each met with a trainer to devise a program to follow. We picked our son up from school because it was POURING today, and he asked if he could go too. So we headed back over there, did a bit more on the machines, hit the pool and now I am bushed! And ready for bed...I have to work tonight. But I do feel good. Mentally and physically. I think the closer I get to menopause, the worse the PMS is getting. Really drags me down into the pit of despair and then *poof!* it's gone and i'm fine. Welcome to my roller coaster! Poor dh. And son. And dog.

Speaking of them, we had such a great day yesterday! We loaded the dog into the car and hit the beach, again. The weather was perfect. Not too cold, no wind, sunny as can be. We walked and walked and walked and talked and skipped rocks and picked up seashells and sat and just watched the little sandpipers scurry across the sand.

I should mention that my son and my husband had had a HUGE blow out on Thursday, so things had been very tense around here for a few days. Of course I'm stuck in between the rock I'm married to, and the hard place that I gave birth to. Two stubborn souls right there. Sunday morning I decided that enough is enough, we're dealing with this now and moving forward. And so we did. And went on to have a perfectly wonderful day together. It was so good to see the two of them laughing and playing together. Afterwards we went to a Stewart's Root Beer Drive In for a burger. No car hops yet, still too cold, but it was good anyway. I had a burger, a few fries and of course a diet root beer!

Today, my food has been great and I feel like I am back on track! Thanks to all for encouraging and supporting me when I felt so gloomy.

Okay, I REALLY have to get into bed now. 10:30's gonna be here before I know it!

Have a great night, all!

Gloria, thank you so much for your kind words. I may have to print your post so that I can periodically read it to the children so that they know someone else in the world doesn't think I am the Wicked Witch of the West. I really feel like I'm doing the right thing even if they won't appreciate it until they have kids of their own!

And count me in for the 1.5 per week challenge - I think we can do it!

Tricia

Happy dance for me. Getting dressed this morning and was feeling particularly thin, so decided to try on a pair of my thin jeans. The last time i tried to wear these jeans, i had a choice of zipping them up and not breathing, and turning a nice shade of blue, or finding something else to wear. So i am trying on these jeans and i get them up over my butt and YES, zipped! Still a little tight, but its a start.

I'm curious to know what kind of exercise you do at your gym Cheryll. Do you take classes or are there just machines. The Y.M.C.A i go to also has a pool, and i found out that a half hour of water walking equals to two hours of walking on land. I like things done the easy way. I also take step and belly dancing when i get tired of the pool.
I also would like to know more about your job. Do you have to wear thoso funny little hair nets pulled down to your eyebrows?

I guess its you and me Tricia. Question: Since coming here to Sanctuary, do you find it easier to get motivated and stay there? I do. Even if i come here and talk about stuff that has nothing to do with weight, i know that there are friends out there that have some of the same problems i do. Just knowing that, helps me a lot with my weight. Okey, I'm rambling.

Have to go and get my hair cut. Talk to you soon.
Gloria

Good afternoon all,

I guess everyone's pooped from celebrating valentines day, gloria. I still haven't got on the scales. Last night my hubby wanted me to make homemade chocolate cake for him for valentines day. So at 9:00 at night we're eating choc. cake. We did forgo the chocolate giving thing. But I know the scales will not be kind to me right now. I know it's stupid to avoid weighing in, but I don't want to get bummed out either.
I belong to a wellness center at our hospital. I do step aerobics and a strictly toning class. I use to belong to the Y last year but my husband and I also love walking and as soon as it got nice outside we spent all our time outside and plus we have a lake cottage in the summer so it seemed like we were paying alot not to be going. But I loved the Y. We did the machines, and we would shoot hoops with other people and play horse. It was great exercise but alot of fun too. As far as being motivated from this forum, i think it helps to just share with others the every day struggles of trying to lose weight. There's times I really focused and then I'll slip and get completely off watching what I eat. Then I feel miserable, and weak. Like i have no willpower. Thats very frustrating. Years ago when I was 34 I weighed 221 lbs. I lost alot of weight and got down to 135 lbs. I maintained that for a good 10 years and then little, by little the weight started coming back on. Never thought that would happen but it has. So I guess I know in my mind I can do this and take the weight off, but I don't know how to get things mentally in control in my head. If that makes any sense. When I lost weight before I just made a choice to eat healthly. There could be tons on candy, sweets, chips etc. in the house and I never touched them.
It didn't bother me. It was a choice I was making for me. I was eating good healthy food and losing weight. I never, never, never ate fast food. So I just need to get back to thatstate of mind.

Also we don't have to wear those funny little hairnets either. We do have to wear gloves. I really like my job. I'm off everytime the kids have a break or vacation. So that's great. I have summers off too. I get 10 sick days a year too. This works out so well because we have a lake cottage in northern indiana. We have a pontoon, and jet ski. We pull intertubes behind our pontoon boat. Next weekend at the state fairground they are having a boat, sport and travel show. We will go to that and check out all the boats, rvs, etc. It will seem like summer even though it will be cold outside.

Anyway, I guess I better get ready to go for my step class. Have a good one!
cheryll

Oops, Gloria, they also have a belly dancing class, yoga class, and bootcamp class at the hospital fitness center. cheryll

I'm curious Cheyrll, how do you play horse?
Gloria

I just got home from my cousin's husbands funeral. I couldn't help but think on that side of my family I have 34 cousins - with spouses that is 68 funerals. And that doesn't include the other side of my famly or aunts, uncles and second cousins.

I am reading this article on "raising your happiness set point".

The first thing is, don't limit yourself. The author set goals in eight areas:
physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, intellectual, professional, material and play. Consider every possible option. The author says we limit the level of success that you feel worthy of or comfortable with. It's time to raise your set point, imagine things you've neer believed you could achieve. Don't let your past determine your future.

I have to think on those - I will report back later. I loved this because I really need to raise my happiness level. To me I always seem to be in the "content" mode - rarely feeling happiness. At least what I perceive happiness is from watching others.

How about the rest of you?

Have any of you ever tried a gazelle? What do you think of them, if you have.

Lucky, what an interesting article. For me, my current contentment IS happiness. I think because I spent so many years climbing the corporate ladder. I thrived on success and no matter how high I got there was always a "next" position to strive towards or another bonus to earn, etc. When I quit working a couple of years ago it was a huge adjustment for me because being at home with the kids felt so slow. Now, I always wanted to stay home with the kids but it was really hard to make that decision because I didn't want to give up all that I had earned. But now, I can't imagine going back to that world - at least not until the kids are much older. So, what is currently giving me the most happines is not having to push any more boundries and just take things as they come. And, quite frankly, I think we are pushed to hard by all of the experts around these days. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with self improvement or wanting to better yourself. I just don't think anyone can teach you to do it. To give a real life example: Greg is very content in his current job. He likes it fine, earns enough to support a very comfortable lifestyle for our family, etc. But, society fully expects him to climb higher, earn more, want, want want. But you know what? He leaves for work at 7:30 in the morning and comes home at 4:30. We get to have dinner as a family, we get to take walks together, he gets to coach our kids soccer teams, etc. I would much rather him never get another promotion his entire career than move up to more demanding jobs that would take his time away from us. Now if he WANTED to do that himself and it made him HAPPIER I would support it - but I don't want him to do it just because other people expect him to. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't think there is anything wrong with just being content. I think that is what we should work towards. And it may be that what you see as happiness in other people isn't necessarily what is happiness for you. In my opinion, looking for happiness is really just to much work and won't pay off in the end. I mean, you take what you've got, you make the most of it. If you decide you want more get out there and get it. But you shouldn't go out there and get it if you don't want it - if that makes sense. And I think that can be applied to each of the 8 categories mentioned. Anytime I've found myself feeling less than fulfilled I've just stepped back and taken another look. Usually, what I think it is that I'm lacking wouldn't make me any happier if I got it. I just have to remind myself that I already am happy. Sometimes I have to sit down and make a list of all the good things in my life. I've found, though, that more often than not, I'm letting some outside influence affect how I feel about myself and my life. Nobody's world is perfect even if it seems to be on the outside.

I am anxious to hear everyone else's take. Like I said, I think it sounds like a very interesting article. And, to me, this is exactly the kind of information that has the most value when it is discussed.

I am off for some shut eye. I will catch you all on the flip side!

Tricia

Interesting stuff here...I want to get back to it, but for now I'm heading out to the gym. I will ponder my set points as I pump up! See you all later!

At the risk of sounding stupid, the only gazelle i know about is the four legged animal kind. If there's another one, please inform me.

Not letting your past determine your future is something i learned the hard way. Before my father-in-law died about three years ago, he had turned into a very angry old man. He was only 83 when he died, but he acted like he was a hundred and eighty three. After my accident, my world was turned up side down. Because of this, i was turning into my father-in-law. I think about it now, and i guess he helped me accept my world as it is now, and not turn into that old angry person. The anger i felt had turned into depression, and all i did was eat, sleep, cry a lot and watch T.V. Then one day i relized what i was becoming. I was about 40 pounds overweight and nobody wanted to be around me. Okay, i cant work, but i can quilt which is something i love to do. I cant turn my head like normal people do, but i can still drive. (I have to turn at the wast to see whats next to me) Sure money is tight for us some months, but if i was working now, i wouldn't be able to go on vacation with hubby five weeks out of the year. When i was working, there were lots of times when Carl would go on vacation without me, and that was okay with me. Now, i get to go.

My long turm goals are- When Carl and i retire, i hope to go back to work so Carl can stay home and do some of the things he has always wanted to do but cant because of work. I could be a greeter at Wal-Mart. Hows that for a long turm goal?

I guess it all comes down to, what are you willing to give up to the past? For me, its not about what i cant do, but what i can do now.
Gloria

I just came in from the gym. I almost didn't make it. I was dressed and ready, dropped my son off at school...and then came home. I forget why. Subconscious sabotage. Got on the computer, 'just for a minute,' and the time started to get away from me. At 8:45 I thought, "Well, now I'll miss the 9:00 aerobics class...oh well." ~and then~ I told myself, NO. NOT "Oh well." The gym is less than 5 minutes from here. I made it ith ime to spare. Did an aerobics class and then used the weight machines for about 45 minutes. I feel good and sweaty and tired anc accomplished. Had I stayed home, (and I was all ready to justify that because I worked all night, promising myself I'd go later, blah blah blah) I would feel guilty and angry with myself and would probably found something to nibble on to make me feel better. All in all, I'm happy with my choice.

I really want to discuss this happiness thing, you guys make great points, but my computer is NOT cooperating at the moment. It's taken me forever to type just this far...the keypboard seems to have a mind of it's own! I'll give it (and myself) a rest for a bit and come back laterr. .

Kat, the exact same thing happened to me last night. I didn't have the kids dressed in time to make my 10:00 class and by the time I got them together the play room was closed (they close at 12 and open again at 4). No problem, I thought, I'll just go tonight. Well, after washing the car, picking up around the house, getting Will to karate, etc. I didn't feel like going. I justified not going out loud by saying to Greg that I'd been every day for a couple of weeks and one day wouldn't hurt. But, then I knew I would regret not going. After all, I sleep better, feel better, everything better when I workout even if it isn't for as long as I usually do. So, I dragged myself there expecting to MAYBE do 20 minutes on the elliptical. But, like always, I got started and couldn't stop. I did an hour of cardio and about 30 minutes of weight work. It felt great. Aside from the obvious physical effect I felt emotionally and mentally strong for having pushed myself. It is like I told Greg when I got home - once I get there I can't imagine what about it didn't appeal to me to begin with.

Gloria, you made really excellent points. The only part I disagree with is when you said, "maybe I can't turn my head like normal people." I think you should consider that NORMAL people can't turn their heads like YOU!

And I agree completely that true happiness can only come if you learn to balance what you want with what you are willing to give up to the past (or future). I've always wanted to open my own catering company. I think I would be good at it and I think it is my "calling" and would make me very happy. But, the truth is, I don't want to give up the family life I have right now and invest the time and money that starting my own company would require. So, a couple of times a month I cook and take dinner to a shelter for battered women and children. It's a good compromise, I think, as I get the pleasure of putting my cooking skills to work for other people and I maintain the family life that I've come to appreciate. I don't look at that as holding myself back or not pushing past my professional comfort zone even though I may always have a little nagging voice asking, "what if."

There is no question that I limit myself to what I am comfortable with. But, I don't see the harm in that. There is a song that says, "Its not having what you want its wanting what you've got" and I think that is so very true. In general, we heap way to much pressure on ourselves when, in reality, we can't achieve more until we accept and live with what we've already got. In my case, finding happiness wasn't about chasing and catching a dream as much as it was redefining what I perceived happiness to be. What I found was that happiness had been under my nose the whole time! I think sometimes we get so caught up in the notion that the grass is always greener on the other side that we don't bother noticing how green the grass is in our own backyard.

Frankly, I think happiness is a lot like losing weight. There is no quick fix and it boils down to just making up your mind to do it.

It is story time so I'm off to fill my lap with snuggly children. I hope you all have a great afternoon.

Oh, and I'm doing really well on the food and exercise front. I'm looking forward to seeing how I've done at the end of our challenge. I am a little worried though. Like I said before, I'm at the point in this journey that I don't think the scale is the best indicator of my progress. We shall see!

I just got home from work and logged onto the puter. I believe the Gazelle is a piece of excercise equipment that is put out by Tony Little. He's the guy with long hair pulled back in a pony tale on the infomercials. It is suppose to be simmilar to an eliptical machine, I think. Anyway, for the most part I think cardio machines are boring. I've done alot of different kinds, steppers, climblers,eliptical, biking, rowing, etc, and it gets boring to me. Give me a step or aerobic class anytime. It seems like time goes by more quickly and i feel a little more challenged. Just my personnal opinion. I can do that at home. I go work out as part of a social thing too.

And Gloria, horse is just a basketball game where you make shots from the same position on the floor. First person picks a shot and if he makes it the next person must make a basket from the same spot. If they don't make the basket they get an H.
If they do make the basket it goes to the next person and so on. If the person does not make the shot then the next person in rotation can make a different shot from another spot. Anyway, you keep going and recieving letters until you spell out the word Horse. Of course you lose if you spell horse first. The object is to make baskets and not recieve letters. And by the way, I think you'd make a fantastic greeter at Walmart. You have a good attitude thats for sure.

I also got on the scales this morning and I had maintained my previous weight loss.
Go figure. Anyway, I'm ready to get in the 1.5 lb. per week challenge. Count me in. I'm getting ready to head off to toning class. We had a nice warm day yesterday and took out dog for a walk. It was 58. Not too bad for feb.

Anyway, have a good evening and I'll check back in later. Cheryll

La,la,la.....la,la. How do you like my singing? Now i know what you are thinking, "You should be a professional singer! That is the very words i keep telling hubby. I just cant understand why he always looks like he's in pain when i sing.

Did you know that rye bread burns very fast when your making a grilled ham and cheese sandwich? Carl comes home for lunch so i try to make him something hot to eat. Today it was grilled ham and cheese on rye bread. About 15 min. before he came home, i had the sandwich put together and in the pan to toast. Had to make a quick stop in the bathroom, and when i came out i could smell something burning. It was the sandwich, so i quickly put the hot pan in the sink and ran water over it. Did you also know that hot pans and cold water don't like each other? Big gobs of smoke filled the kitchen so i started fanning the kitchen with a dish towl to get the smoke out. Just then Carl comes home, "Om dear, what are you doing?", "I'm making your lunch, you always said you like your food crispy. I wonder what i should make for dinner. Fried chicken maybe.

On my way out to water aerobics. Later gator.
Gloria