Helloooo...where is everyone? I suppose you all have lives, don't you? ;p Weeeelll...food today was ok, and I never DID get around to doing my exercises >_<
Tomorrow, yes indeed tomorrow.

On a lighter note, I borrowed a couple books from work...one is called "I, Elizabeth" and it's fiction but it's also sorta biographical...it's about the life of Queen Elizabeth. I also took out The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, just in case this history novel got to be a bit too heavy for me ;p

Well, I hope you're all having a good weekend thus far.

Felicia, I think I'm gonna give the three mile walk a try tomorrow!! I'll let you know how it goes...I also looked at your web page and you have some cute little digital drawings there.

Just popping in to say hello! I'm lurking around checking on everyone!
Talk to you soon.
Hugs!
Barb

Lazy day at home but very good foodwise...I love getting experimental in the kitchen. The one of the kids that I work with wrote a one-act play that was being performed tonight at his school in their festival so I went up there..and as usual his work was amazing...the kid is so ridiculously talented. Tomorrow we're all having dinner for BF's dad's birthday...thank goodness his mom is good about having OP food for us. In the meantime I vacuumed everything today and washed all the throw rugs and bathmats...I love it when my place feels clean. I am wearing my favorite black pants tonight...and I need to get rid of them...I also have them in 5 other colors and they need to go as well...they are now just too big...but I have no replacements..but they are nice pants and I love where they hit my ankle and they aren't too wide in the legs...sigh...such is the price of losing weight..but I'd rather be thin and nakey than fat and clothed...I guess? Ok maybe not nakey.

Have a good night and a great day tomorrow.

Hi guys... I finally made it home.
We had rain for several hours... stop and go traffic for a wreck for another hour... and a stop to see my sister in the hospital ... but we finally made it home safe and sound.

Welcome to the newcomers.
Barbg... I don't do chats so that is why I never replied. I love your cheerleader.

I am exhausted. Going to bed. Sunday I will spend with my family. Monday I will try to return.

Welcome to dogpal, and to everyone else who seems to have appeared while I was AWOL yet again. What a hard month it's been, but I'm back for good.

Catherine, I like the visualization idea. I'll try it too, but my goals will be a lot more modest. Since I haven't exercised in a month, and I was never that good of an exerciser, I have to go with more modest goals. So I'm going to go to bed, finally, and visual myself tomorrow doing 1. 5 minutes on the stat bike; 2. 10 minutes dance; 3. 15 minutes walking. And I'm going to stop at a list of three. If I do it, it's a half hour of activity, which is a half hour more than I've gotten in ages.

Hope you're all well. Hang in there, as Barb says.

WI today. I didn't weigh in last week due to TOM bloating. So today's 4 pound loss I'm chalking up to 2 last week, and 2 this week. I am convinced the deep water aerobics are the reason I have started losing again after 5 months stuck on a plateau. I've gotten so used to going every other day, that missing Friday because the Y was closed has actually made me stiff today. They will be open tomorrow, and I will be first in line for the pool.

Another 5 pounds, and I will be out of the weight I gained after Nutrisystem. Another 30 and I get small enough for a bicycle. Those are small short-term goals. If I think too much on the long term, it's too much. Tomorrow, I'm going to buy myself a new pedometer. I have to multiply by .54 everything I get on my old one. Sometimes I walk a bunch, and find out when I get home that it has shut itself off. So, I'm going to treat myself. I'm such a confirmed skinflint that buying anything involves a bunch of internal debate.

I'm off to finish my activity contract for the day. I hope you ladies are being nice to yourselves today, and have an OP week.

Angela so good to see you back! {{hugs}} for the month you have had.

I have been in a bit of a slump for the last four weeks or so.
I think I have decided to do the PhD. Taking absolutely everything into consideration its probably the best option for the kids and I, short and long term. This takes into consideration that I would get a scholarship, and that the uni are willing to employ me during it. My parents are giving me grief about it, though. They are inferring that I'm selfish, that I don't want to "share the rewards" of my study with my kids, and that I've left everything too late to make a difference. Got to love parents!
Anyway part of me is just soaking all the criticism up (as usual) and being hard on myself. I remember when I wanted to do honours, my parents were not supportive. And the scholarship I got for that was 1/4 the scholarship I'm being offered now (per year). I just wish they didn't affect me so much, from the other side of the planet.

Anyway, my food has been really bad. I bought an exercise bike yesterday and did 25 minutes on it yesterday. I'm hoping I can do at least that every day, and hopefully that will give me the impetus to get back on track food wise and motivation wise. When I am not doing so well, I tend to hibernate (isolate myself) which isn't good. Continuing to read this group keeps me on the edges of where I'm supposed to be, so it isn't such a long journey back when I do want to get back on track (if that makes sense). So thank you all for being here.

Leanne

Wow, quiet day today. Leanne, So good to see you, chickie. Thanks for the hug, and here's a big one right back at you. I'm sorry the folks aren't supportive, and CONGRATS on the scholarship. This sounds like great news to me, even if the decision is a difficult one.

Sorry to hear, too, that you've been in a slump, as I have. I know you want this and I know you have what it takes.

Catherine, congrats on the loss, and on getting off that plateau. You are such an inspiration!

Yeah, it's definitely been slow here this weekend. A big hello to Angela, Leanne, Catherine 2Cute and Julee, who all posted today

Anyone want to give me a swift kick in the butt? I need to count calories, dammit. I've started using fitday. I had an account from years ago, but never used it cause I was always doing weight watchers. Using fitday over the past couple of days has really shown me that I need more protein in my diet...most of my calories seem to be coming from carbs >_<

Would anyone have an objection to me posting a thread on how many calories you consumed in a day? I know that seems a bit....I dunno..freakish and obsessive, but the accountability seems to work with me...(ie Special K's "did you exercise today" thread)

How about a "what did you eat today" thread that way if you arent count calories you could still jump in on it?

Felicia =8)

Leanne-I have always believed that education is never wasted. Considering that I have 169 undergrad and 93 grad credits, yet do not work right now, that feels like a stretch. I do believe that I use my education everyday. That said, two or three years from now, you are going to be 2-3 years older. You can be that age with a Phd or that age without one. Whenever my mother attempted to give me parenting advice, that I knew deep down was the wrong advice, I reminded myself that if she was such a great parent, then how did I end up so screwed up. You don't get to be 600 pounds by accident or genes alone. [For you ladies who had great parents, don't take offense, I'm talking about my mother only.] In the end, the greatest gift you can give your children is a happy, healthy mom. You will be setting an example for them of hard work, perseverance, and the quest for knowledge. What a legacy to leave your children.

Miss-I'm an obsessed calorie counter, and it is the only thing that has ever worked for me long term. I'll be happy to join in your thread. Don't be embarrassed. If you think this will be of a help for you, go for it. If I needed to stick blueberries up my nose everyday to lose weight, then I guess I'd be sneezing blue everyday.

If you are tempted by the golden arches today, keep in mind that a big mac, large fries and a large coke would put you in a calorie debt that would take you 7 hours of walking to pay back.

742,000 calories burned, and only 763,000 calories left to lose.

*squeal* Just had to tell you guys that I took my measurements for the week tonight and I have lost NINE more inches. My weight maintained this week ( offically dont weigh in till tommorrow) but I am tickled with the inches lost!!! That makes a loss of 23 inches since April 18th!!

Thanks for reading!
Felicia

Way to count, Catherine! How exciting to realize that you're almost half way to your goal.