You all seem to be having a long hot summer, but of course in England we get two days of sun (which we call 'the summer') and then it just rains for the rest of the year. At least I dont have to go out in to my garden to do watering this morning.

Geri - Fantastic loss!!! It is so encouraging to hear about it. Especially as you did not feel deprived. Just goes to show that sometimes we have to go and have all that nice food like chinese and italian etc. Good on ya.

Maggie - How annoying for you to have gone up a bit - but it might be water, or all kinds of things. Anyway, good for you for the recommit to your plan. You sound clear about that. I came to Tennassee for a holiday once. Actually I was in the blue ridge mountains in Georgia for two weeks, and around Atlanta, and then we drove up to Knoxville and then drove to Nashville and Memphis. What a time i had!! I think I was in one of the Carolinas too, but its all a bit hazy. What I most remember is how stunningly beautiful the mountains were, and how green everything was. And my favourite ever thing was FIREFLIES!! Or 'lightening bugs' as a child I was staying with called them. Wow! What amazing things! I had never seen such a thing (although we have glow worms, but they are just very rare green luminous slugs.....boringly earthbound). I was so transfixed by the fireflies. Magic!

Cindy - I have never been to the windless/windy city, but i do watch ER......!!
I love restaurant fish too. We have an old fashioned fishmonger in town where we can get nice fish, and sometimes I go down to the coast for the day and get the newly caught stuff, which is heavenly

J-Ann - Oh the MacDonalds in the car thing.....eeekkk me too! I find that I only really do it when I am a bit down though, especially when I am angry but not really wanting to admit to myself that i am angry - sort of stuffing it down type of activity. And i always think I am going to love the burger, then I eat it and like eating it, but as soon as I have swallowed the last mouthfull i think 'ugh! and how horrible was that?'. but the secret eating in the car thing....oh yes, i do that. I think maggie has a good point about everytime you dont do it it is easier not to do it next time. Would it be madly extreme to eg glue your driver side window shut so the ritual of driving up and ordering would have to change - if you actually had to get out of the car maybe the allure of the whole thing would be shattered? Or at least a bit cracked? keep on sharing about it! the secrets are the killers.

Ellie - raspberries are totally the best. you have obviously inspired everyone with your smoothie suggestions!

Bunny - see my comments above about (almost!) your part of the world. Fantastic idea to walk the whole park. There is nothing more heartening than a good day out of the city. Have a lovely time without your children. No matter how lovely they are, time without them is so precious!!

Well, i am off for my bike ride although it is really making my bum hurt, in a sort of triangle pattern

Good luck to all for an OP day - I weigh in tonight so we will see what week one has brought me.....
love to all.

Morning, ladies! (And any lurking gents, too). We're about to head off to leave my kiddies with my folks -- who will later take them to the airport in Orlando for their trip to California. I also get to take a side trip my my distributor today -- something I've been dying to do but which we've been a bit too tapped out for lately. So all in all, it looks to be a long, mostly-in-the-car, but fun kinda day.

Geri -- wow! Five pounds! Wow!! Congratulations. Whatever you're doin' -- its working.

Lilacglitter -- we've had nothing but rain this month (and a good bit of last) as well. Our creek hasn't flooded, but quite a few folks in our area lost their bridges to sudden high waters. On the other hand, my garden is growin'.

Maggie -- I've read somethin' about the point plan (I think!) that you came up with but I'm blankin'. Can you elaborate? My girls are 10 and 13 -- and this is the second trip they've saved up for themselves. We're mean parents (by the standards of their peers) because we insist they pay their own way but I honestly figure its better for them in the long run. Plus, they can go places we'd be unlikely to send them if they pay themselves. A few years back they were featured in the Gainesville Sun (FL) in an article on savings accounts and children. (I'll stop being a boastful mom now. LOL!)

J-ann -- I've begun to bring a full thing of water/ice with me where ever I go. I find that just being able to drink up helps keep my full so I'm less tempted by treats on the road. When we're planning an all-day trip (like today) I also bring along a SlimFast bar (the 2 pt chewy caramel) and some carrot sticks. My thinking is that the bar helps with sweet cravings, the sticks with crunchy cravings, and the water just keeps me cool and full.

Y'all have a great, OP day! See ya tomorrow.

Good morning,

Only have time to post my first official weighin results. I lost 1.2 lbs which is good considering I had so much trouble keeping my points under my max. But I feel I'm making the adjustment downwards and will get this under control so I have another loss next Monday.

Geri - WOO HOO. You've worked hard for that 5 pounds and you deserve to feel great. Now keep your focus and don't "celebrate" your loss away like I usually do!

Everyone else--I'll print the topic at lunch today and get caught up with everyone tonight. How did I get so far behind???

Have a great OP day and be strong!

Good Morning everyone! I figured I would start the day checking in here. That seemed to work pretty good last week!

Gosh you were all busy posting after I went to bed last night. Can't hardly keep up any more. But this is so much better than when no one is here!

Thanks everyone for your kind congrats. We are working for another loss this week of course!

Cindy: This heat is enough to make me crazy. I hate sitting in the house with the air on. I love sitting in my backyard and unwinding and my garden really needs tending. I need to dead-head my flowers so they'll bloom again and I just bought some perennials at Frank's Nursery that need to get into the ground, but it's too darn hot to dig right now so I'm just watering them real good.

Lilacglitter: I DO remember the rain in England. My husband and I (we weren't married at the time) were there for 3 weeks one summer on a choir tour. We spent 2 weeks in the Lake District and 1 week in London. It was Wonderful!

Bunny: Gosh, I wish you would send some of that rain up here. We are having a draught this summer. We're on water rationing and all. Everyone's grass is just brown. The flowers look pathetic. Eeeeek!

Terri: 1.2# Good For You!!! You keep it up. It's so hard to get back with it when we have been lagging for awhile. I do believe it gets easier as you get on a roll.

Gotta get to work, but before I do, I want to share this with you. My WW leader Angie really does a nice meeting every week. Besides lecturing, she always uses visual aids and she had this done up as a poster to work off of and I thought it was one of those 'printable' things that I will hang up above my computer. You all have a GREAT day!

Make It Your

P romote long lasting weight loss.
R emember you are in charge.
I f you invest alot you'll get alot in return.
O bsessed by the scale? Get Over It!!!
R eview the evidence - your journal.
I know you can do this -- Now you say it!
T ake it one meal at a time, one day at a time.
Y ou need to take a time out to do something for yourself - everyday!

Good Tuesday afternoon ladies, it's another hot and humid one today, but then this type of weather is becoming routine. Ugh! It's a routine that I would like to break. I'm at work, sitting in air-conditioned comfort, and fighting the urge to buy a candy bar. So far, I'm winning, but I have at least another hour of work so I'm not going to be smug about it. Food has been okay today. I'm a little low on the water, but I'm sure that I can make it up by the end of the day. It was just too hot out to really take a long walk so I did a shorter one at lunchtime. Oh, and I ate fruit (2 plums) for a snack--now that's a first (in a long time)! You all are doing great OP and I am trying to follow your lead. You all have a good OP evening. Cindy

Geri, I liked your "PRIORITY" It focused on the right things that I forget too easily. Oh, how I envy your central air-conditioning. The central A/C at work is enough to make me want to stay here and work late! Sad, but true! Hope that you get some rain soon. I would have loved to have sent you even a fraction of what we got last Thursday. Keep cool!

Terri, congratulations on your wonderful 1.2 pound loss. Doing great, lady. You and the pooch should be proud!

Bunny, hope that you had a good trip in your car today. Keep up the great OP work.

Lilacglitter, good luck at Weigh-in today. You're doing great with your OP ways and your bicycle-riding. I can't remember where it is in England that you live. Do you have nice places to ride? Hope so. Chicago is very flat and it is not very difficult to ride a bike here (except for the car traffic). I loved the idea of you going down to "the coast" to get your fish. Take care.

Hi everyone!
Wednesday morning. I will tell you this straight away - I lost 5.5lbs! I am so pleased! I know that it was week one and its easier on week one, and I have been on 'powerstart' which meant I only had 22points a day (28 this week), but even so, I am really encouraged.

And Cindy, yes I have some lovely places to ride my bike. I am 5 minutes from Richmond Park, which is huge and has deer so that is very nice, and i am also about 10 minutes from the Thames (flat tow path - fantastic). I could go about 2 miles down the Thames and get to Hampton Court, which is Henry VIII's palace - a lovely Tudor building with very pretty gardens.

Everyone have a good, enthusiastic day, and trust the process to work for you!!
love to all

Good morning!

Woohoo we may finally have a break in the heat this week. It was a very lovely evening last night. I took the dog for a long walk and we both loved it. I tried to wimp out this morning but at 5:15 I heard him whining so we had a slower stroll this morning. He's in the back yard and I'm thinking power nap!!!

Food has been going well the last two days. Last night we tried tuna steaks with avacado salsa. Very reasonable in points. I have to say that the salsa was good but it really lacked spicy flavor to offset the tuna. It really needed something but not quite sure what. I'll post it tonight as it is a very easy recipe. I used the frozen Orca Bay tuna steaks. I had never tried them before and actually did quite well. For some reason I don't do that well with fresh fish. DH found the recipe and whined about making it then acted like a horse's butt because he didn't like "something" about it. He never could answer whether it was the fish, the salsa, missing a flavor, or what. He's a killjoy when it comes to trying new things. He says he loves to try new things but then doesn't give them a fair shot. So I was pretty miffed at him last night. Enough whining about DHs.

I finally got caught up on posts last night so here are some very belated replies:

Geri - The taco dinner was good. MIL loves the house; but then again she gushes about everything! She was NOT impressed with the dog. The way she had gone on about seeing his picture and everything, I thought she was really interested in him. I had no idea she does not like animals. Thanks for all the recipes. My DH is a dud about going out too. Heaven forbid we do anything I really want to do no matter how many football/baseball/golf games I put up with. I love your motivations that end your posts.

Bunny - Do you have a shop that you were searching for merchandise for? Sounds fun. I've never had a pork salad before but that really did sound good. Hope your trip went well and you enjoy your time without kids!

Ellie - Thanks for the info on the smoothies. I picked up a box of chocolate mix at WW this week. Haven't had time to try it yet. A very belated congrats on your 3.2 loss last week.

Maggie - That's too funny about the vinegar and hickups. Good thing it does work; not sure plain vinegar would be very yummy. Sorry to hear about the .8 but looks like you're making it a learning experience. You are very inspiring that way.

Lilac - Good for you for the new bike. Yes, if you stick with it you can definitely build up. I bought a bike about 7 years ago. I could barely ride down the block and back. But I really enjoyed it and kept working at it. Within six months of training, I was able to ride 100 miles in 8 hours (at about 225 lbs). It can be done!! Now obviously I'm a lot heavier and have lost that conditioning but keep dreaming of doing it again. Oh yes, the bomb there by your work made our news here in Missouri, US. I had heard about it from you before it was on the news! Congratulations on your 5.5 lb loss. That is awesome, keep up all your good efforts.

Cindy - Hang in there and don't beat yourself up. You're still here with us and you've been dealing with a lot of emotional issues dealing with your aunt. Every one thing you do right for yourself is so much better than none! I hear you about the heat, mugginess and walking. I take the dog at 5:30 am and after 9:00 pm at night and we're both hot and nasty when done.

J-ann - Ice cream stuff is hard for me to resist too. That and Sonic cheddar poppers. Little devil temptations to keep us from our goals! Since you had enough points, then you did just fine.

Time to hit the shower. Have a great OP day!

Good morning! Yesterday I stayed (mostly) OP -- ended up using a couple banked points for the McDonald's ice cream cone I had while waitin' for my dad to meet us in Macon. Not bad for bein' travelin' from 9 am to midnight, imo. The kids are gone for three week and the house is eerily quiet. I never knew how much noise the kids make even when they're sleeping. Today we have to pack/ship stuff and generally make up for takin' yesterday off.

Determined to succeed (Terri, maybe -- I'm still learning names!) The Tuna steaks sound interesting, to say the least. Do you think they could use some spicing to counter the avacado stuff instead of the other way around? (I'm always trying to spice everything -- my favourite way to make chicken is to grill chicken breast strips smeared in a paste of 1/3 c wine and 1/3 cup *each* red, white and back peppers. Yum!!) My husband and I are both "online entrepeneurs" -- which sounds much fancier and more legitimate than saying we sell on eBay, Amazon, and our website to earn our bread. Yesterday was a side trip to my bra wholesaler for new merchandise. Today will be a photograph and update the website kinda day.

Lilacglitter -- WOW! A big loss! Congratulations! You must be on air. (Plus, you live where I wanna vacation next even though my next long vacation is probably decades away. LOL!)

Lunacat -- I love the little chewy caramel SlimFast bars when I have a candy bar cracing. And the 3 pt crunch peanut butter SF bars really do taste like Butterfingers to me! *yum* They help me make it through the movies like nothing else ('cause I've always been a soda, popcorn, candy kinda gal at the movies -- and now I'm a baggie of air pop, soda (diet has always been my favourite) and SF bar kinda gal).

Geri -- I haven't been to a meeting yet (only weigh-ins on Fridays) and I envy you your leader. I keep thinking this will be the week where I get to a meeting (heck, maybe this morning 'cause we're not shopping!!) and be reminded of what in-the-flesh support is like. Y'all are a wonderful group here -- I think that's why I enjoy this thread so much is 'cause you folks know what its like and are endlessly supportive through it.

Hello everyone, (sniffle, sniffle) I'm back from the trailer.

I had a great time. My daughters ball team is going to the Ontario "GRANDS". They picked up a silver metal on the weekend. It was terrrific.

We had a great time at the trailer. It was hot and sunny and we got in a lot of swimming and laying around the beach. The sunburn was a bit much but I guess my skin is just not used of the sun. I will have to start using a higher UV sunscreen.

Dawn brought 4 other ball players back to the trailer after the qualifiers and it was very interesting having 5 teenagers. They are just so full of life, it was refreshing to watch.

Well, I ate too much and my punishment for that was a nasty cold. On my way home last night I started sneezing and now it's a full fledge headcold and I stayed home for work today. I feel real poopy.

It looks like everyone is busy and doing well and I'll try to catch up on individual post tomorrow.

Take care everyone...

Good afternoon ladies!

It is another hot, humid day in Canada's Capital - as it is everywhere else it seems.

I've been lurking and not posting the past couple of weeks. I now realize the reason I haven't been posting is that I've been pretty down and I didn't want to infect anyone.

Anyways, I just weighed in and had a .5 gain (last week I stayed the same) so that makes two weeks in a row without any "success" at the scale.

The ironic thing about it is that today's meeting topic was "emotional eating". How appropriate!!!

The past couple of weeks, I have run the complete gamut of emotions - we celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary a week and a half ago, I've had visitors constantly over the past two weeks and my mother-in-law came for a visit in the middle of all this. PLUS, I'm PMSing in a really big way today and I haven't had a good night's sleep in a few days (because of the heat). Suffice it to say that I've been having difficulty staying OP and today's meeting topic really hit. It made me realize how good it "used" to make me feel to post messages here so I decided to "check in" with you ladies rather than just lurking. Thanks for being here and for listening!

Maggie, way to go with your resolve to stay OP. I've decided to follow the Wendie plan this week. Maybe we can "hold hands" and get through it together!?!?!

Canadian, welcome back to civilization. Hope you're feeling better soon!

Lilacglitter, welcome and congratulations on your wonderful success at the scale. It's encouraging when it works so well isn't it?!? I've been reading your posts about your bicycle and the places you ride. Sounds wonderful. I've haven't worked up enough courage yet to get back on a bike. I keep getting this image of a really fat lady on a bike and wonder where the seat went!!! Good for you for doing it! Keep up the good work and keep us posted!!!

Geri, I really like your "priority" poem. I printed it and hung it on the wall. Very motivational! And congratulations on your great success at the scale. You deserve it lady! Way To Go!!!

Terri, are you started to feel "settled" yet in your new home? Isn't moving the worst?!?! Sounds like you're doing fine OP. Keep it up, you'll be at goal in no time!

Sorry I don't have time to write to everyone individually - I have to do some work. Hope you are all have a great OP day, keeping your chins up and a smile on your face - It Makes All the Difference In The World!!!

Catch ya later!

Hello everyone! It is a great day in Michigan.

Well, ok, it could be better. I just wrote long messages to everyone and I don't know what I did, but I looked at the screen and *poof* it was gone! So this is a re-type. Good thing I write my responses out before I type or you'd be getting nothing and I would throw in the towel for the day!

I have been OP this week and it is good to feel in control of my life again.

I made smoked sausage last night for dinner. There is a wonderful product, if you haven't found it, called Hillshire Farms Lean and Tasty Sausage. I put it in a dish with a little water and microwave it. Then cut it into 4 pieces which makes the pieces bun sized. (I have 1 point buns available here) Each piece of sausage is 4 points so I basically have 'sausage dogs' for just 5 points a piece. YUM! I also made some Baked French Fries that were pretty good so if you all would like the recipe, I will post it for you.

Cindy: Hope you made it through the rest of the day yesterday wrestling the candy bar monster and came out on top! * They're predicting thunderstorms for tonight or tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Lilacglitter: 5.5# is WONDERFUL!!! I've never heard of 'powerstart', but hey, whatever works.

Terri: Sounds like you're doing great! Guess you and poochie have worked things out! * Too bad DH isn't up for new stuff. My guys, all three of them, are pretty good about trying stuff once. Then we all vote to see if a recipe is a keeper. * I love grilled tuna steaks. DH is kind of a die hard when it comes to fish, he likes his fried! Altho' I have to say that he enjoyed the salmon I grilled on the bar-b-q a couple of weeks ago. * Glad you like the quotes.

Bunny: You might find you have a great WW leader too. They are definitely a wealth of information. We are sooo glad you joined our group. What is the address of you site? I know you can't advertise here, but if you're not comfortable posting it, send me a private message. I would love to check it out.

Maggie: Good for you still keepin' on. You are definitely my inspiration!

Brenda: So glad you had such a wonderful vacation. Sorry about the cold. They sure are nasty in the summer!

Diane: Please don't ever feel like you shouldn't post here just because you are down. Actually, when you're down in the dumps is when you need to be here even more. That's what we're all here for, to try to bring you back up. It sounds like your plate has been pretty full lately, I hope you have some peace soon so that you can take a deep breath and get back to taking care of YOU! [[[hugs]]]

Gonna run. I have my monthly Family Council prep meeting tomorrow and I have some designing to do before then. You all have a GREAT day!

"There is no progress without some discontent and discomfort."

Good Wednesday afternoon ladies, it is still miserably hot here, but I can't complain too much because I'm at work in the A/C. So far, I'm having an okay day with the food/points and water. Yesterday, I managed to avoid the candy bar at work, but fell apart later and ate some donuts in the evening. There is a Dunkin Donuts shop that is on the way home from work and I broke down and got their 2 for 99 cents special. It may have been cheap, but it was absolutely no bargain when it comes to health. Hate it when I do these dumb things, but I am going to accentuate the positive (as the song says). I'm writing what I'm biting again and trying for some small successes. Ladies, I'm actually thinking of weighing myself again and forcing more accountability in my life. It's a thought, anyway. You all have a good OP evening.

Geri, so glad to hear that you are having an OP week. Go Geri go! Your recipies sound delicious.

Diane, good to hear from you. Listen, when you're down is really the best time to write and get some support. The ladies here are the best! You have been going through a lot, lately so give yourself some credit. Deep breath now. . . okay, feel a little better? Hope that you do. Have a good one.

Brenda, welcome home and congratulations to your daughter on her Silver. Oh, it is no fun having a cold, especially in the summer. Take it easy and ease yourself back into program.

Maggie, Maggie's Plan is working wonders because Maggie (you) are doing the hard work. Keep up the great job that you are doing.

bunny, nice going on the McD's ice cream cone. You worked it into program and had a nice treat on a hot day. Thanks for the tips on the SlimFast bars. I have never tried them before, but may buy some to "stash" in the office. I'm an on again, off again, junk-food junkie so I like to find out about healthy alternatives to the bad stuff. Orville Reddenbacher's Smart Pop has "saved me" on occasion.

Terri, I thought that your tuna dinner sounded wonderful! Sorry that DH wasn't was appreciative. Nice going on working the program so well. My hat is off to you for walking the dog in the early morning and late night. I think that my borrowed dog buddy must hate me by now because it has been about 2 weeks? since we last walked. Oh boy, I just felt a twinge of guilt.

Lilacglitter, congratulations on that fantastic 5.5 pound loss! Outstanding job, lady! With your biking and focus to stay OP, you will reach your goal. I was in London a few years ago and was so impressed by the great number of large beautiful parks and gardens. I took the Tube to Kew Gardens and walked around there by myself for a couple of hours. It was such a beautiful place. I can't remember if people were allowed to ride bicycles on the grounds, but I seem to recall a lot of mom's pushing baby strollers. Say, keep on pedaling!

Today was long and kinda quiet -- as expected 'cause the kids are on vacation for most of August. We woke up earlier than we'dve liked and have paid for that all day. Its kinda like I'm off a beat -- I've dropped a desk on my foot (ow), deeply cut my thumb (double ow), and otherwise mauled, bruised, or bumped my head, other foot, shoulder, and elbow. Sheesh. I'm usually clumsy but not this clumsy! On the plus side, I managed to get a new desk, printer stand, and hutch assembled and set up in my "office". I have my inventory close at hand and all is right with the world.

Diane in Ottawa -- I do hope your week to come is more uplifting. It sounds like you've been bombarded with a buncha different things and once -- and staying centered in the midst is tough, eh?

Maggie -- I can't quite imagine (yet!) eating 18 points only in a day. Yikes. You're motivation to stay on track is just astonishing. Wow!

Geri -- I want the baked fries recipe. I'm a fry fan but haven't had any since startin' WW -- 'cause moderation isn't one of my better skills. My website is linked to, btw, in my profile. I'm not sure if that's allowed -- but it seemed to be so that's how I've done it. Bras are my passion. Can't wait 'til I can fit into some of the more fascinating ones! LOL!

Lunacat -- We used to eat three (!!) Krispy Kreme glazed donuts every Saturday and Sunday morning 'cause one of our friends at the local flea market would buy them hot and bring them to sell to the crowds there. I miss 'em. Yummy, yummy, not so good for ya. I sometimes think there are foods that are just about yelling, "Resistance is futile".

TA DA!!!! Just got back from WI. I GOT MY KEYRING! I can't believe I lost another 5 lbs too. I needed to loose 32 lbs to earn that little key ring and I'm going to treasure it for a long time. Car keys are goig on it as a reminder to stay away from the drive-thru at Mickey D's. <G>

BUNNY: Sounds like you're having a "klutz day". You be careful and stay out of the car. It sounds like the kind of a day whereyou could back right into something that "isn't there". 8~)

LUNACAT: Hang on to that steering wheel and don't let it turn into Dunkin's. That place is death for me too. Sounds like several of us are fighting the fast food bug this week. We've got to stick together and stay away. I've saved a lot of $'s lately by eating OP and not scarfing Fast Foods.

GERI: Glad to see you OP. Your smoked sausage sounds good but having grown up in a house where kielbasa was a once a week meal, I just can't get that type of sausage down anymore.

DIANE: Let us know how the Wendie Plan goes. Iy looks interesting and I hope it works. I've saved it.

BRENDA: Congrat's to the girls. Good to see active youth. Yuotake care of that cold and drink lots of water. Hope you're feeling better soon.

LILACGLITTER: WTG! Nice loss. I'm sure that the biking has helped your Powerstart. Go For It!



Gotta go put the critters out and fix their dinners.