Good evening ladies!

Its been busy weekend. One of my nephews got married over the weekend so we've had family up. Plus the weather has been gorgeous so lots of time outside.

Food has not been great. Its not between-meal snacking but rather what we're eating for meal times.

Okay, and 1-1/2 pieces of the most wonderful wedding cake last night. And yes, it was worth it and I feel no guilt.

My niece, who stayed with my sister and other family last night, stayed this afternoon to go horseback riding. That was a three hour effort between getting both saddled and ready, had a wonderful ride, and then getting each unsaddled, clean feet, fed and back to the lot. Both girls had tar packed in their feet which was so difficult to get picked out. I was totally exhausted by the time I got six cleaned and had to ask for help for the last two. My arms felt like they would fall off.

I also had to do the fertilizer on the yard tonight. I have the hand spreader so again, felt like my arms would fall off. But that's done. Now need to scoop more dog poop (oh joy) and do weed-b-gone.

Welcome to the new ladies!!!!

I'm too wiped out for replies. Sorry ladies! Have a good evening!

I would like to invite everyone who can or is interested to join me in the chat room tonight at 7:00 CDT for a group chat. For thoses of you who have never been to our chat room, it's very easy and it is a private room, so there is no problems with being ourselves. To get to our chat room, click on the "Chat" link at the top of the page (in the colored bar) when the chat box appears go to the lower right hand corner where it say "main room" and click the drop down box and select the 300+ room, and there we are.

Hope to see you there, even if you can't stay, drop in and say Hi.

WOW ..It really has slowed down in here. I was busy all day yesterday.
Wished it had been outside.. it was beautiful here. Hubby got all the yard work done while I sorted through closets and videos for a garage sale Fri-Sat.

kjenson.... WELCOME !!! Somedays we go through two threads in 24 hours... some days it slows down. But we always love to have newcomers join in.

Barbg... what a cute grapic.
I just now saw your chat announcement.
I never can keep up in chat. LOL By the time I get my stuff typed... everyone has already moved on to the next topic. LOL

Well .. Today is a new day. I need to focus on my water today.
I have really slacked off my water and I can tell.
Hope everyone has a wonderful day. Gotta get to work again ... my house is almost in a disaster mode. LOL

Hi everybody!!!

We were blessed with some gorgeous weather this weekend...sunny and warm and not a cloud in the sky...I spent some time with an old friend of mine that I hadn't seen in like 7 years and then taught a workshop on Celtic mythology and modern religion, but I was sure to get some sun too...my car should be back home next week. I miss her sooo much, I even went out and bought some "welcome home" gifts...ok it was like an airfreshener and some armor-all...but I am excited to get to drive my baby again...especially after I paid 2.15 a gallon this weekend.

I got my admission letter to U of M(emphis) this week. I am so ready to go back. The worst thing I ever did was to stop going when I did.

I stayed pretty on plan this weekend. I got lots of water and worked out...I love warm weather cuz I just don't want to eat a ton.

Ohhh and the best thing of all is that while I am between sizes 26 and 24...I now need a belt...I haven't needed one since I was like 12. I had to go out and buy one now that my booty isn't doing its job anymore...lol.

But anyways...just wanted to catch up with y'all and let you know what I was up to.

Wow!! So much that I relate to , I'm going to jump right in and treat you all like old friends

LOKI/LILION: I need to redo my hair, I'm getting a little three toned (red,brown and silver!) on top. I started getting it cut in a salon last year and now my hairdresser teases me that she knows when I'm making a trip to Canada with my girlfriends to bond at a fun little ladies' only club...I come in to get my layers redone and my bangs perfect Otherwise, I hack the bangs off myself when I can't see and just let the rest grow long again!

2CUTE: I can't be on my feet too long either, although I've noticed a difference with just a small weight loss. That encourages me! I don't think I could do the WalMart right now, I don't especially like to shop there. But my last trip to the Food City was fast and pretty painless, my last few have been agony. I was in so much pain my the time I reached the register, I wanted to cry. My knees were bad, my back was screaming...I sent hate messages mentally to everyone who got in my way! I felt like an invalid, and I hated it, I'm only 36, dammit!

CATHERINE: My housemate talked me into trying her water aerobics class last year and I was sure I'd be laughed at. I had to wear shorts because my suit didn't cover my tummy flab and a tank top because it didn't fit properly at the top. I didn't even wear my suit the first month or so because I couldn 't squeeze into it. I just wore clean undies under my tank top and shorts. But I went, and to my surprise, everyone I met was totally friendly and supportive. I expected that the ladies in the classs might be, but the (mostly young male) lifeguards and instructors? Always glad to see us, always encouraging, always seemed like THEY were happy to be there and part of helping us feel better. It's a fun group of people, a little rowdy sometimes, but boy that pool feels good when I'm stressed. I hate getting suited up and going, but I love being there. And, due to the demise of my old black suit to chlorine poisoning (I grew up on the ocean, what did I know?), I recently bought a splendiferous purple suit, with a little skirt and everything. No shorts, no shirt required And I'm with you, anyone who doesn't like it can kiss my great grape butt!!

I'm hoping to get to know everyone in the coming days so Hello to you all!!

Hi all.

Well, I learned this weekend that what they say is true -- if you don't have it, you can't eat it. The only things we had in the house this weekend to eat were healthy foods. Therefore, I ate healthy (thank goodness). We're trying to cut our expenses so there wasn't any buying any either (also a good thing -- you don't realize your excesses until you can't afford them anymore).

Hippievanlady: You have the best attitude! I love reading your posts. You go girl!!! You tell them to kiss it!

Hello!!

What a wonderful weekend! I had so much fun at my brothers! My poor Sister in Law is being pounded with Morning Sickness. Poor thing! I tried to eat good but I did have some Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food Ice Cream so bad yet so good but I only ate part of it and left the rest in their freezer. So my SIL can have it if she gets a craving.

I got my bicycle!! I love it! It is so comfortable it has a big seat for my big rear end. We went riding around the neighborhood Saturday and Sunday. So I finally got some exercise in. I have been having a horrible time trying to get back on track . But I will get back to it. Don’t worry. I WILL get under 300lbs!!

I am also trying to control my spending habits. I am a horrible horrible budgeter. It’s a good thing I am single and still live at home. I am trying to come up with a budget that will work for me. But I always seem to get out of hand. I have decided to take life one day at a time and if something gets screwed up at work just fix it and go on. I am making myself way too stressed. But you guys have helped being here with the stress factor.

Catherine: I have read about the 90 minutes of exercise everyday. But I forgot about it. But I am going to do it! Starting today! I feel so much better after exercise but I still seem to be able to push it to the side. And don’t let a plateau give the downs just tweak your routine here and there and it will kick start back up.

Loki: I love your new hair do. You are braver than me I do not like to do my hair. So I haven’t had bangs since 6th grade. I am a brush it and leave gal. My brother is supposed to email me a picture of me and my bike so I will post it for you. I absolutely love it. I will post a full report after I ride it for awhile.

Thin: Thanks for the comfort, support, congrats! I hate losing posts!!

Welcome to all the new folks

The other Jen: What are you taking at U of M?

Lilion: I don’t think I ever told you but I LOVE you Avatar!!!

BarbG: I will try to be here for the chat! What wonderful idea!

Well sorry I couldn’t replay to everyone. Work calls.

Scooter

Scooter- I am majoring in Art History

GREAT GOOGLEY MOOGLEY!!

I was about a hair away from being a Art History Major. I am so extremely jealous!!! I love Art History!

wow...that is crazy...I have never met anyone that either majored in it or wanted to major in it...for me it was between history and art...so why not combine the two...

did someone say art history??? *drools* I spent a summer in spain studying medieval architecture....*sigh*

I SWEAR that I have lead a past life during the renaissance..hee hee. You should see my bookshelf, it's full of history books on medieval history and arthurian legend.

Ok, having a birthday was fun, but now it's time to get *serious* again. I probably put the three pounds i lost right back on, so it's time to loose that again, plus the two pounds I committed myself to..lol...I should've checked this morning but I just didn't have the heart.

It was nice though, because it's been awhile since I've had *censored* and *censored* (to protect us from cravings), and so I feel my birthday break was spent wisely.

If you could believe it or not, I couldn't wait to go back on my diet.

Scooter! I'm glad for you and your bike!!!!! Congrats.'

Arcayne~ That's definately the way to do it. Just jump right in!
did you post a bio? I'm going to go chat so I can find something to chat with you about, (I cheat, thats how I find most things to talk to most people).

The rest of my lovely ladies *kiss* muaaaaaaaaaah.

Loki,lots2loose,dreasam,and theotherjen ~Your pictures are soooooooooooooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute. I love pictures. I wish you all would just post pictures everyday.

Theotherjen~You kind of remind me a little of myself (cuz I had that exact haircut). You've a nice body shape. Jay says I carry my weight well too. So lucky!

P.S. Everyone~ Saturday, someone not only confused me for being 18 yrs old, they mistook my boyfriend for my dad. *embarrassed and confused* LOL

I survived my first trip to the YMCA. New member orientation was basically one of the trainers showing each piece of equipment so we wouldn't hurt ourselves. I was the guinea pig for one of the pec machines and the shoulder one. The funniest thing was when he showed us how to use the fancy treadmills. I said I preferred to walk outside. His concern was that I wouldn't walk fast enough. My roommate piped up that I had spent 8 years in a wheelchair, so any walking was good. Boy did that shut him up. He was actually a very nice older guy. I live in a very senior citizen type area, so half the trainers are over 50.

I looked longingly at the climbing wall on my way to the locker room to change into my bathing suit. I did a lot of rock climbing when I was a forester. I doubt they have a harness my size, or anyone big enough to belay me, so that will have to be my inspiration on the way to the pool each time.

This facility is pretty new, and the pool was great. It had a shallow entry like a big boat ramp. They even had some old ladies in the water aerobics class that used a walker to go down into the pool. I had been looking forward to swimming at least a mile. I was a life guard in high school. I went about 4 laps before having a "wardrobe malfunction." I haven't finished my new suit yet, so I had worn one from about 10 years ago. It hadn't been worn much originally, and it was neighborhood the right size. Well, after it got nice and wet, it became apparent that it was a tad too large in the bust/shoulder area, and the strap came down on me. At least I was face down in the water. I went back to the locker room and dug a safety pin out, and pinned the neck line up. I decided that I'd better go join the water aerobics class until had a change to run my suit through the sewing machine.

After worrying about how people would look at me, it turns out that I was far from the largest person there. I am very nearsighted (400/20) and without my glasses I did have some trouble following the class, so I got behind the instructor so I could see him outlined by the windows on the shallow end. It was like trying to follow a shadow play on the wall. Since I was in the deep end, I spent most of the hour treading water. It was wonderful. After class my roommate went to the sauna to try to expell toxins (she is quitting smoking), and I hit the whirlpool.

No matter my bravado, I was scared going into a place that my mind equates with hard bodies. My life is full of small daily humiliations. I decided that no bathing suit skirt or coverup is going to convince a single person that I am really a size 12. That's also why I refuse to wear black pants, much to my mother's consternation. I am what I am, and I can't change it overnight. If someone has a problem with that, they can turn their head when I come through.

That being said, I did look around. I've not been used to being around a lot of people the last several years. I saw two women coming out of the locker room while I was waiting for orientation to start. The first lady was 75ish, had a thin but fit physique and a spring in her step. The second woman was 65ish. She was about 5' and at least 275 lbs. She was walking with a four legged cane with great difficulty. I can choose to be the first, or the second. It really is my choice, and if I have to endure some humiliation in the short term, it is better than enduring pity later.

Slightly pruney, with water stuck in my ear, by elated,

Catherine

My kitty says "Good Job, Catherine!" and so do I!