Afternoon All ... got a 4 pointer yesterday , went to the gym after work, still liking the gym and still getting my butt kicked...other than that not much is going on with me ...

Faye - Yes I know it has been miserably hot here still as well, in October even !!! BUT, they say it is going to be in the 60's from like Thurs - Sunday so that is going to be great!! I cannot wait, I love cool weather, I say cool not cold... I know you will get back on even if it takes a while so do not worry, I went through the same thing for like 4 months at the beginning of this year so you are not the only one...

Amanda - I too have a weakness for chocolate, sometimes I think you and I are fighting the same battle, the love of pizza and chocolates, ha ha Hope you start to feel better ( mentally ) ... I know how it is to get down and out ...

Hi to everyone, will check in later!!

Happy belated birthday to Carrie and Faye! I'm way behind again. Just overloaded at work with the database rewrite and all. My husband is doing better. I hope this round of antibotics has killed all the bad stuff finally.

We had Fall Festival Saturday and Sunday. It's a huge juried craft show and fair food, entertainment, and a heritage section where all kinds of things are demonstrated. Our quilt guild demonstrates quilting and sets up a quilt display. I worked Sunday and it was wonderful - just warm enough. Thousand attend. Only junk I surcombed to was the funnel cake - my once-a-year treat.

WEDNESDAY: Today is Wednesday's Woes so feel free to unload your problems today girls!

POINTS:

Carri
Amanda

Boy do I have a woe today. I belong to a book club and they have my account so messed up I can't figure it out. They currently have two placed orders, one with 4 books and one with 2 books, they have charged me for the two book order, in fact I paid for one of the books already as it was shipped separately, and one they said was shipped back at my enrollment, which it wasn't and I tried to make sure they didn't double bill or ship to me and got no where with that one. Now, they said on 9/27 they shipped a book which I have received part of the small order then I received an e-mail last night they shipped the book on 10/3! Of course, they CHARGED MY ACCOUNT on 9/27 for the darn book. I can't get them to send me a total invoice listing from my enrollment on so I can see what they have done. The online account is a mess as some of the orders, which have been filled show as being back ordered, they are not invoiced but they have charged me. It is a total mess and I can't get them to answer my ?? so I have about had it with them.

I am hoping in the next day or so we have the fall cool down they are talking about. We could sure use it. It was in the mid 90's yesterday!

SusanVa: Glad you dh is doing a bit better and eating now. I love craft fairs, festivals and what not but dh hates them so we rarely go. Actually, I know he doesn't like them so I don't ask because I know he would take me.

Carri: I take it your dh has had no recurring problems with his back since he had the steroid shots? How is your doggy?

Amanda: Chocolate is absolutely my downfall. I love it unfortunately. I think we all have the "clean your plate" mentality that disallows us to throw stuff out. I have a hard time just tossing stuff I bought then decide I really shouldn't have. Mother's teachings have a strong hold on kids and carry them through life. Just get back on track and you will be fine!

I am going to try and stay op today and water, though my exercise may be limited still to cleaning projects.

Have a good day girls!

Faye

Hi all,

I got 2 points yesterday - thankfully the chocolates are now finished (I ate about 20 yesterday! ) so I can get back to eating healthily for the rest of the month. I haven't had a very good start to October - but it is only the 5th today so it's not too late to get back in control.

I am so glad I got myself out of the house yesterday evening and tried that new 'fat burner' gym class - it was such fun! It was old style aerobics but constantly moving your arms whilst holding light hand weights, so it was quite a tough workout. The last time I did a proper aerobics class I was 17!! I managed to keep up all the way through, which shows how much fitter I am - and it really lifted my mood which made me feel alot brighter.

FAYE - Sorry about your problems with the book club - hope you can get it sorted soon. It's such a pain having to 'do battle' with these sorts of companies isn't it - it really gets you down!

CARRI - Yes, we do tend to have the same food cravings don't we?- but at least we are both on track MOST of the time (or some of the time in my case!) Glad you are still enjoying the gym. When you are a bit more settled in and feeling fitter, I'd definately recommend trying a few different classes. I get a bit bored with the gym machines every day so am now doing 2 cycle classes, 1 fat burner class and 3 gym workouts - it helps keep things interesting!

SUSAN - Glad dh seems to be responding to the antibiotics. Your fall fair sounds lovely, glad you enjoyed it.

I expect JULIE is having so much fun at the gym that she hasn't had time to pop in and see us!

Love Amanda x

THURSDAY: Today is Time for Us Thursday so take some time and do something you love to do for you today!

Amanda: I am so proud of you! You have conquered a lot of fears in the last year and put yourself out there so that you might be healthy and fit again. It takes a lot of courage to do so and I now you are really starting to reap the benefits now.

Yahoo, the weather is supposed to cool by tomorrow so maybe I can get my behind out and start walking again. Get good food into the house and start making the choices I should make. It is stupid really considering how quickly I lose when I am behaving myself. It is selfish of me to NOT do it.

I watched a program about extreme morbid obesity last night. It was a wholem what they called, retirement community of patients that weigh over 500 lbs and a lot are confined to their beds etc. One woman had lost a significant amount, but her legs looked like elephant's and she was going in for surgery to try and get the huge amount of skin off them so she could walk again. This woman was quite attractive and I felt sorry for her not being able to walk. Another man had been communicating with Richard Simmons for 9 years and Richard made a surprise visit to see him and the other residents. He was certainly the big celebrity there. I think the president could have come along and Richard would still have been in the spotlight. He just really cares for people especially those who don't care for themselves. You say to yourself, "How can they let themselves get that way?" But we ALL know, we are just one step from going over the edge and being where they are. We have to learn to control those impulses that have long been imprinted in our brains and that is not easy to do. I am a perfect example of that. I have gained a lot of my weight back now and the only reason truly is because I am letting my thoughts control me instead of the other way around.

Everyone have a wonderful day and let's strive to be at goal by Christmas of 2006! Wouldn't it be great to have every person here be at goal weight by Christmas of next year? We can do it if we try!

Faye

Hi all,

Just me again - not like you to not pop in early Faye - hope you are okay!

I am happy to report a 4 point day yesterday. I started to feel a bit ill again yesterday evening - dizzy, nauseaous and a bit short of breath, so I think I still have that bug hanging around. I just wish it would either come or go! So I'm taking a rest day from the gym today as I think I probably need it.

Hope everyone is well and happy (and OP)

Love Amanda x

Hi Everyone ... had a 4 pointer yesterday, burned 252 calories in a half hour on the elyptical machine so I was pleased, but boy was I tired afterwards.
My goal is to stay totally OP until Halloween, then for Halloween night I want to have pizza and halloween candy so that is my goal ...

Faye - It is so much cooler here today, how about down where you are? It is going to be around 70 or so here today and then starting tomorrow and through the weekend it is going to be in the mid to high 60's, yay !!!!! I love the cooler weather, ya know ... so I hope it is cooler down there so you can start exercising...I hear ya on the rapid weight loss when you first go back on, I know you can do this !!!!! Oh and also thanks for asking about my dh, his back is doing really well, I pray daily that he never has to go through that kind of pain again ...well and next time we will get to the DR when the pain actually starts, not letting it get worse and worse for 6-8 months...and the doggy is fine, spoiled and rotten !!

Amanda - Yes take a day off from the gym if you are feeling badly, hope you feel better soon ...what is the time difference where you are? Like right now it is 12:46 here, what time do you have?

Julie, Susan/Va, and everyone - have a good OP day!!!!

Faye, sounds like a plan to me - I've messed around with the same 5 pounds for months now.

One thing I know is I do not reward myself for anything with food, especially staying on my food plan. That is self-defeating. We have to break the connection to food and anything other than nourishing our body with it. If we use it for rewards or comfort or because we are bored, etc. we are asking for trouble - and more pounds. Let's see if we can come with with alternative ways.

dh continues to do better and he's eating fairly good again.

We are now officially in a drought - supposed to get a little rain from the tropical storm tomorrow.

Have a good day!

Our posts must have crossed Faye - thanks for being proud of me. You are right, I am trying new things alot more - it all started witht that first trip to the pool when I could hear your voice in my ears saying 'do it!'!! And, I've never looked back really!

CARRI - When you posted it said 6.48pm - so you are 6 hours behind me!

LOve Amanda x

FRIDAY: Today if Fabulous Friday Follies and our folly this week is, what is the dumbest thing you ever did on a date?

POINTS:

Carri
Amanda

Morning gals and hope you are going to have a good one today. I have to take my doggy to the vet for his annual and to get a baby tooth pulled that never fell out. I also need to go to the store and get something for dinner as I need to go to the commissary tomorrow and do my regular shopping. Think I will get something to put on the grill tonight.

It cooled down significantly last night. Enough that I even got cold, which is a welcome change. Wish I could cuddle with Jack but with Fortune and the fat cat between us that is near impossible! It is like having two toddlers living in the house.

I laid in bed this morning after having gone to the bathroom and thought about what I want to do with regards to my overall plan. I know I need to go back to basics like food journaling etc and that is what I am going to do. I am going to get a notebook to keep track of my exercise, water and food so I know that I will stay on track. I am going to get proper food tomorrow at the commissary including GOOD snacks for me. I am going to have to get off soft drinks again, which for some reason is terribly hard for me until I get it out of my system. It is my cocaine of choice. All I have to do is develop a routine and I stick to it and that is what I am going to do.

Everyone have a super day today and remember to smile at someone today

Faye (oh and as far as the folly, I really only dated a time or two before Jack but the dumbest thing I ever did was talk the man into taking me to the ice capades (we had tickets) in a driving snow storm than got home late and I had to face the ire of my grandfather next morning. Of course, that is the night he proposed so it didn't turn out all bad!

Hi everyone!

Sheesh, what a mess I've been---I skipped the gym last wed. because of my 2 dance classes that night. Then I proceeded to skip Thurs & Fri to get ready for an 18th century event that weekend. Then I got sick and TOM and skipped everyday this week. I finally went back yesterday, but my eating has been terrible! I can't go today cuz the kids are home from school....sigh.

Anyway, I have to get an article turned in today--so I can't stay around long. Just wanted to let you all know I'm thinking about you. I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row with this weight thing. I'm so freakin' tired of it. I read my journal from over the winter last year....I had plotted out a 5 pound per month loss and I would have reached goal by last month!!!! GRRR, I'm so mad at myself.

Oh well. I'll keep plugging away.
Welcome Choir! and You all have a great weekend!

Julie

Morning All ... hope you are all doing well, I am great, considering it is going to be a nice cool weekend with nothing to do, just relaxing !!!

Faye - So glad that it cooled off for you... good luck on your new program, I will be rooting for you ... I know exactly what you mean with the soft drinks, if I start on them I am hooked, I do LOVE my Pepsi ...

Julie - Great to hear from you, do not beat yourself up about what could have been with the weight loss, just get your butt in gear going forward, time is a wasting !!!

Amanda - Wow for some reason I thought there would be more of a time difference for some reason...

Friday Follies - It is hard to remember all the stupid things that I did on a date ... I would probably say it would have been going out with this guy who drove me to a corn field and then tried to get me to, well ya know ... anyhow I ended up kicking him out of the car and locking the doors and then driving off and leaving him in the corn field, I would say though that was probably a smart thing I did on a date, ha ha I wasnt that kind of a girl...yet....ha

Have a good weekend everyone!!!

Hello all,

I got 3 points yesterday - I am glad I took a day off from the gym yesterday as I feel alot better today. Last night I had a massive pizza craving, but I managed to talk myself out of it. I asked myself 'what do I really want (and not Pizza!) and decided to make a lovely shepherds pie with mashed swede and veg - lovely winter comfort food. It took about an hour to cook, but it was lovely! I am having a good food day today - my emotions are telling me I want to comfort eat, but I am keeping them in check as I really need to rein in my eating. I have lost and gained the same 3lb over the last 3 weeks - the scales were up again this morning, hence the reason for me trying to be more disciplined! I am definately having trouble getting myself over the 50lb lost mark - but I will do it and I won't look back!

FAYE - I write a food journal every day - I write down everything I eat and take the calories away from my 1600 total. I also write down how many portions of fruit and veg I have and how many glasses of water, aswell as recording my exercise and how I am feeling on that day. It is a pain to write in it every day, but I know that when I don't write in it my calories creep up without me even realising it! I try to buy a bookeeping book which has columns already marked, but I couldn't get one this time so am having to get my ruler out!

JULIE - Don't worry about one bad week, we all have them. At least you went back today!

CARRI - Enjoy your relaxing weekend doing nothing - hope it doesn't go by too fast!

Have a great weekend

Love Amanda x

SATURDAY: Today is Sunny Thoughts Saturday so share your funny sunny stories with us!

POINTS:

Amanda

Not much going on in my part of the world. It has cooled off now so I am going to be able to get exercise in as long as it stays this way. I haven't decided whether or not to go out to the commissary today or tomorrow. Jack had to go out to the plant at 11 PM last night and the phone woke me when they called, so I got up and sat and watched tv until he got home. It is so desolate out there where he works, it makes me nervous for him to be going out there at night so I can't sleep when he has to go in and work overtime. I was then up and down all night going to the bathroom so I am pretty whipped this morning.

We just had a new Target open here and today is the grand opening so I might meander over there to see if there are any good deals. I went over there yesterday to get cards and wrapping paper. Jack's bday is Monday and my son's is the 22nd so I got them cards, then got a baby shower card and paper for my niece's blanket, which thank goodness I finally finished and shipped to my sister to take to her shower. I bought one of those packing boxes to put it in and had another box that was big enough to put that box in, but I taped the packing box upside down so the bottom was the top! DUH! Only I could be so dumb! I can't believe how expensive cards are. I bet I spent $20 on the three cards, one sheaf of wrapping paper and a bow. I like to make my own cards, but my printer down here is out of colored ink and I ran out of cards to print so had to buy some. UGH!

Well, need to finish chores and I may go back to bed for awhile too. Have a wonderful Saturday everybody!

Faye

hello,

I'm just popping in so Faye isn't talking to herself all weekend!

I got 4 points yesterday.

Nothing else to report really - sorry to be so dull!

Love Amanda x