I have a few minutes here this morning, so I thought I would say HI to everyone!
Yesterday was good, although I did succumb to part of an elephant ear when we went to the Motocross last night! <sigh> DH and DD have decided that DD is going to race next year probably...<sigh>!!!! It is exciting to watch them race, but oooooooohhhh....I don't like seeing those little ones fall! Makes me cringe! Anyway...

Other than the piece of elephant ear, food was pretty good yesterday. I haven't added up my points yet, but I'm pretty sure I was over the allotted 24. Good thing I have some flex points to used duirng those "hard days"!

I did get in a wonderful hike at the State Park though. Went a little further than usual, so it was probably 3 or 4 miles...lots of hills! Fun! Lake Michigan was a bit chilly, but it felt good to have that lake breeze after a long hike. We met a guy along the trail that was doing some bird watching. He said there are several pairs of pileated woodpeckers around in the park. They are very cool to see! We saw a hawk up close and heard several other birds...cardinals, tanningers, some others I didn't know!

Today is slotted for a couple of hours of housecleaning. My house has been neglected lately! And I have some laundry to do! That ought to burn some calories! DD is pouting because I won't come outside and play with her. She's soooo spoiled! The girl has every toy imaginable, and she still wants Mommy & Daddy to play with her. I told her after I got my housework done, we'd do something together! < Sigh>

Tabu & Formeiwill...Welcome! I hope you can find what you need here. This is a great bunch of MOTIVATED chicks! And Tabu....8.5 hours of yard work could just about wipe me out for an entire week!! YIKES!!! I'm sure you slept good last night!!! LOL!

Elisha...Our weekends sound a lot alike! Lots of housework! YUCK! Yea on the Target giftcard! Sorry you had to endure so much to get it though! But like you said, you will take bribery! It's just a job!

Jennifer...Chickie.....We have GOT to catch up! Your house is going to be all lived in before I get that package sent out! LOL! ARe you officially moved in and all unpacked???? That is a never ending process! You are sounding really great, though! I'm proud of you! Did you post a link on our last challenge so the rest of the group knows we are here. I wonder if they know...LOL!!!

Brandy...Oh...please let us know how "Wicked" was! They had that here in GR recently...my SIL is involved in Civic in GR. She was either in it or designed costumes...she does both~...hope you enjoyed the day!

Gotta get moving! Have a great Sunday everyone!

Good Morning!

I'm moving a little slow this morning after spending the day doing yardwork yesterday. It's pouring rain here today so I'll spend the day getting some inside projects done.

Julie - I slept like a log last night! LOL It felt great though. I'm trying so hard to make lifestyle changes instead of focusing on the latest "quick fix" diet fad, like I've always done in previous weight loss efforts.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Hi gals-

"Wicked" was really a terrific show. Everything was excellent (music, set, costumes, actors, etc.) I would definetly suggest you go if the opportunity arises. I'm not sure I have a favorite show, but this ranks up with the best.

Other than the show my weekend was busy. We did Relay for Life for a few hours on Sat. night. I got upset at the disprespect shown by some teenage boys who insisted on wrestling around on the walking track during the luminary remembrance laps, but other than that it was a nice night. Sunday sucked for me. I found out that one of the older women at church who has really befriended me over the years has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. I am taking this very hard. You all know I am the church's organist, and part of my job is to play the funerals. I am starting to have alot of trouble playing them because these people are now "friends" instead of just "acquaintances". I was VERY emotional yesterday, and made myself physically sick because of it.

We won our softball game last night, but my heart wasn't in it, and I asked to sit out after the 3rd inning since we had plenty of girls to replace me that wanted to play. I have a late game on Wed. and then a double header next Sun. so I'll get to play lots this week and hopefully be able to enjoy those games.

Julie-your hike sounds awesome. I've never seen a pileated woodpecker. That would be so cool.

elisha-bribery is better than getting nothing. I always laugh cuz my hubby has come home many times with a "reward" tshirt. (They are so UGLY-nice reward!!) At least you got some recognition.

tabu-Wow, thats lots of work, but now you get to enjoy sitting out in the beautiful area to enjoy it.

formeiwill-hope you broke in those runners over the weekend.

Well, I'm outta here for a bit. Have a great day.

Oh boy, oh boy...I sure need another day to my weekend! Saturday we did a lot of running around, looking for more landscaping stuff. We ended up taking a road trip, heading up 2 counties north of us. Several stops at different nurseries, and the purchase of 4 more citrus trees made for a productive early part of the day. We dropped them off at the house, then headed south, stopped at Winn Dixie for a few sale items, and then headed back home. I did 3 loads of laundry, re-arranged stuff in the pantry, since some of the shelves were heavy with canned goods & I didn't want to risk them pulling out of the wall & crashing to the ground.

Sunday I got up at 7am, and did another load of wash. By 10:30am I was feeling like crap. Hubby wanted my help putting together the adirondack lawn chairs we had in the garage, waiting for assembly. I tried helping him, but since I was following his instructions to the letter, and he still wasn't getting the results he wanted, that must have been MY fault. Whatever. I went and laid down, and managed to fall back to sleep until just before 2pm. I woke up because the cats had come up on the bed to sleep with me, and Cardigan, the lard butt, thought I made an interesting lump to climb up on. I was groggy, and my head hurt, but I got up, folded the laundry that was done, and then put it all away. I also put away stuff from 2 more boxes. I think we're down to under 80 now.

After finishing that, and being tired of stepping over stuff in hubby's office, I went and put away his boxes of letter-size paper, put stuff away on bookcases, and made it easier to maneuver through the room. He had put together 1 of the chairs, and then took the weed-whacker / trimmer attachment and gone a little nutso with the weeds & brush between our house & the neighbors. Several of the people on our block are going to be adding some fill & grading their property, so we're all trying to get the best price & see if we can't get a package deal. Our next door neighbor is doing it, too, and the price we were quoted also includes them hauling away the large rocks at the edge of our property line, which separate us from the neighbor. That'll make it easier to do fencing, or landscaping, and grade the property so there's no standing water issues. Wow, just reading that, we've been pretty busy! No wonder I'm tired!

Food this weekend was unplanned because of the impromptu road trip, and then my mini-coma on sunday. Could have been better- hubby got chinese food on sunday, and I had won-ton soup, and a little chicken fried rice, and sweet & sour chicken. With the salt, and bad foods, I'm up .8, but that's what I was down last Thursday, so I'm still holding steady at -19 since 4/23.

Today's plan

Breakfast
2 packets apple & cinnamon oatmeal
12oz can diet coke
18oz water

Lunch
chicken breast sandwich w/ swiss cheese

Dinner
Taco Rollups (hubby said he'd make the meat while I'm at work)

Comments to come, but I've got to run for the moment- crisis to deal with for a client who is throwing a tantrum!

Morning chicks!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Mine was too short, but that’s every weekend!

We did get a lot done though: replaced the gutters on the garage, installed a door at the top of the basement steps, most of the laundry, lots of cooking, and meal planning. And I ate really well all weekend, got in a decent amount of water, and a good bit of exercise. Of course, this morning, the scale is back up to 214.2, but I’ll gulp the water today and hopefully be back down to 213 point something for tomorrow’s official weigh-in.

I actually planned out all of my meals for the week. I’m pretty sure I won’t follow it exactly, because I didn’t plug it into the computer to figure out calorie counts and such, but I’ll make it work. I made lots of food yesterday, so I’ll have plenty of choices this week. I made spaghetti and meat sauce (with ground turkey), peanut butter chicken, turkey ham stir fry, teriyaki chicken (marinating, still needs cooked), and turkey tacos, plus we have a few leftovers from last week. On the menu today:

Breakfast: 2 c. coffee w/hazelnut creamer, 1 egg, 1 sl. WW toast, ½ mashed potatoes
Snack: grapes
Lunch: ¾ c. long grain brown rice w/3 oz. chicken, ½ c. corn, tomato sauce, and ¼ c. LF shredded cheese, apple
Snack: green pepper strips, celery, 2 T. ranch dressing
Dinner: 2 salmon-dill cakes, 1 c. stir-fried Asian veggies, ½ c. long grain brown rice (not positive about the rice, I may skip it), and pineapple for dessert

Calories for the day come in at 1499. Woot! And lots of water on the agenda! And exercise tonight. If it’s still raining (which seems likely) it’ll be the bike. If it’s not raining, a walk.

OK, it’s a busy day already, so I need to get working. Have a wonderful day, chicks!
~Elisha

Morning all! It's been a hectic weekend. After the shopping trip and all Saturday I thought maybe things would calm down a little. Not even close!!! My best friend got engaged over the weekend which leaves me as the last one not married off in a group of friends. I can already hear the "Oh I know the greatest guy..." coming right now. Then a family friend lost her battle with cancer Saturday morning. So it was up and down all day yesterday. The visitation is today, and my best friend is coming home for the services. So I figure today will be as emotionally trying as yesterday. I didn't workout yesterday, but I also didn't eat a lot because of everything that was going on... so I'm going to call it an even day.

I'm deffinatly going walking after the visitation tonight. I'm going to need the chearing up. My younger brother walks with me most nights, and he's aspiring to be a comedian. I'm sure he'll be on a roll tonight. I have to cover the office this afternoon while the regular secretary is out so I won't be able to leave until 4:30, but that should still be enough time to do weights. I have my jug of tea for the day sitting on my desk, and a bowl of soup in the fridge for lunch. I had a cup of cheerios for breadfast, and a class of OJ. I have no idea what I'm doing for supper... I laid pork chops out to defrost, but I may just do a sandwich or something.

I hope everyone has a great day!

Hi everyone,

Seems like we all had hectic weekends! We are a productive bunch of chickies!

Had a busy day today - worked 6 hours, picked my daughter up who had stayed the night at a friends in the next town over, then came home and did four hours of yardwork. It's like that children's book "If you give a mouse a cookie" - the more I do the more I see that needs done! I swear its never ending - lol

Good part is I am so tired and I know I will sleep really well tonight and wake up feeling well rested in the morning.

Everyone have a good day tomorrow!

Morning, chickies! I started my day bright and early, and got in here at 7am. Of course, the bane of my existance also got in early, at 7:30, and she hasn't shut up since. Is it too early to drive home and call in fed up? Anyway, since breakfast is now done, I can at least take an advil and try to keep her quiet.

Starting off with comments so that I don't rush off & forget.

Tabu- welcome! Better late than never, right? 8.5 hours, and then another 4 hours of yardwork? Wow! When you finish, will you come help with my yard, or Elisha's? You should be done in no time. I hear ya on the staying busy- keeps the hands out of the proverbial cookie jar, and the mind busy not to dwell on what's in the kitchen.

Brandy- sorry to hear about your friend's diagnosis. I'm so sorry.

Julie- Finally! And of course, you sneak in on the weekend when you know I can't pounce on you! LOL. Way to go with those 5 pounds- they have been annoying you for so long, but that's it- gone for good! I posted the link yesterday- I had totally forgotten to put it on the old challenge. And how is my little dare-devil, now doing motorcross? Yikes! She's braver than I am. The house- sigh...we are nowhere near done. And between doing the house, and the yard, and work, and laundry, and still trying to figure out what the heck to do with the townhouse...I need a keeper, for sure!

Elisha- Go Chickie, with that positive reinforcement. Here at work, we get very little of that. Bribes would work on me! Or at least a day without the Roid. How do you like the tacos with the ground turkey?

ForMe- wow, lots of walking. Oh, and I know a great guy for you! Just kidding, but I had to say that! So sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.

Ok, the plan for the day-

Breakfast- already done
2 packets cinnamon & spice oatmeal
12oz diet coke
12oz constant comment tea w/ splenda & ff vanilla creamer
18oz water

Lunch
2 taco rollups-
(2 low fat small tortillas, 1/2 cup 93% lean taco meat, 1 oz shredded skim mexican cheese mix)
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
more water

Dinner
chicken breast w/ bbq sauce
veggies- most likely green beans

Ok, everything planned out, just need to execute....back later, as soon as I can take a break from the training.

Oh, and today is 06.06.06... !

Morning chicks!

shanonbug! Your goals look great!

Well, it’s been about 45 minutes since I started typing this post, so I guess I should make this quick.

I’m feeling like crap today, both mentally and physically. Yesterday was good, calories, water, exercise, all good. And the scale was up this morning. Bah. Stupid scale. Today will be good too, and damn the scale.

Today’s menu:
Breakfast: 2 c. coffee w/hazelnut creamer, mashed potato sandwich!
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: Taco salad w/lettuce, ground turkey, salsa, LF sour cream, and LF shredded cheese
Snack: Celery w/reduced-fat peanut butter
Dinner: Teriyaki chicken, mashed potatoes, spinach, perhaps more pineapple for dessert

OK, that’s all I’ve got time for. I hope you are all having a much nicer day than I am!
~Elisha

Hello ladies-Hope you're all off to a wonderful start of the day. We walked 4 miles this morning and incorporated a 13 min. run again. We were supposed to go 21 min., but I have a cold/sinus infection and didn't want to push it so we flip flopped with Fridays run.

elisha-hope today is better than yesterday!

shanonbug-welcome! What kind of exercise do you do?

formeiwill-sorry about the loss of your friend .

tabu-hope you got that good nights sleep.

Have a wonderful day!

Morning chicks!

Well, yesterday was weird. I was so tired all day, and work just plain sucked. But food and water were good. I didn’t exercise, but that was intentional. And I went to sleep around 9:30, and I feel a little better for it this morning. I’ll see if I can’t make it even earlier tonight.

I didn’t weigh this morning, as I have a deal with a buddy over on the journals not to weigh until next Tuesday. I wanted to though! It was tough! I just hopped in the shower as soon as I could so I would no longer be tempted to pull out the scale. Hey, whatever works, right?

Something I realized this morning… I find that I’m actually *liking* planning out my meals and trying to fit in more fruits and veggies. I *like* eating healthy. It makes me feel good, proud, and I know that I am doing something good for myself. This morning I was adjusting my daily food plan, trying to fit in as many vegetables as I could. I’m trying to get at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of veggies every day, and I’ve made that goal every day this week. Yay!

Today menu:
Breakfast: 2 c. coffee w/hazelnut creamer, 2 sl. ww toast, 1 T. LF mayo, tomato slices, 2 oz. LF mozzarella, sprinkled with basil and garlic… yum yum yum
Snack: Grapes
Lunch: 3 oz. teriyaki chicken, ½ c. brown rice, 1 c. stir-fry veggies
Snack: Celery w/1.5 reduced-fat peanut butter
Dinner: Turkey taco: 1 tortilla, 3 oz. turkey, ¼ c. LF shredded cheese, 1 T. LF sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and some cucumber
Dessert: 1 Reese cup

That reminds me… yesterday afternoon I was attacked by a wicked chocolate craving. And I was about to fall asleep on my desk, and what better way to wake myself up than eating some chocolate, right? (Yeah, yeah, I know how that theory backfires.) So I go over to the office snack shop and actually compare the calorie counts of the various chocolate to be had, thinking that I’ll only eat half of it. I come back with a pack of Reese cups. As I walk back into the office, one of our new employees walks up and says she has an interview with my department, just to better understand what we do. So I sit the chocolate on my desk and we have our little group meeting, which takes about 10 minutes. After the meeting, I sit down and pick up the Reeses. I stare at it for a minute, and finally decide that I don’t really want to eat it, that I just think I do. So I put it in my desk drawer, where it still sits. I’ll take it home with me tonight and have 1 of them as dessert.

OK, I have a meeting to go to, then a bunch of work. *sigh*

Have a good day, chicks!
~Elisha

Wheee- it's hump day! Finally done with the NewGirl training for the day, and now I'm officially "at lunch" to see if I can get this written AND posted in under a half hour. On your mark...get set....type!

Shanon- Welcome! Glad you are joining us! Your goals look great- definitely doable!

Brandy- if I only had your motivation and self-discipline, I'd be a whole lot closer to healthy right now. You continue to be a kick-butt role model, and one day, I will get my poop together and actually believe that I can be that active, too! Well, purposely active, not like the cleaning & unpacking & that stuff that keeps me busy, but not at a target heart rate the whole time.

Elisha- we bought a whole pineapple at Winn Dixie, and I thought of you. I thought it would go nicely with the teriyaki chicken you were having, and then I even dreamed up a variation of sweet & sour chicken with chicken breast pieces & bits of grilled pineapple & just a drizzle of sauce, over brown "fried" rice. Your meal planning is doing wonders for my meal planning, because I get to "borrow" ideas I've been checking the sale papers, too, and trying to see what's in season & super cheap right now- like corn on the cob is 5/1.00 right now, and you have people selling ears on the side of the road, fresh from their farms. And melons- you can't walk through the store without 2 or 3 melons trying to jump into your cart- 1.50 for a cantaloupe or honeydew!

The Plan du Jour, already 66% done

Breakfast
2 packets apple & cinnamon oatmeal
12oz diet coke
18oz water

1 cup constant comment tea w/ splenda & ff vanilla creamer

Lunch
2 meatball & mozzarella lean pockets
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained
18oz water

started a tea, but gasp- someone used the last of the creamer, and there's nothing left but sweet & low. Bleah. Instead, I went with a can of diet coke, and I will bring some stash from home in order to leave splenda packets in my desk. I'll also have to buy powdered creamer, or vanilla soy milk, which people should shy away from in the office kitchen.

Dinner tonight
Leftover taco rollups with shredded skim mexican cheese mix & fat free sour cream. (does anyone else like the fat free sour cream better than the real sour cream? I find it has a nicer taste & texture than the "real" version.)

Note to self- put a package of chicken in the fridge to defrost overnight for tomorrow night's dinner.

Ok, tonight will be a busier, but quiet night. Dinner. Start a load of wash, sweep all the tile, vacuum up kitty hair tumbleweeds from the tile, vacuum the master bedroom and all area rugs, vacuum his office when I can kick him out. Mop the floor. See if I can get hubby to spend 10 minutes putting together the last bed frame, and lift the huge, heavy mattresses so I can make that bed & put that room together. Then, find something on TV to kill time while I go thru all the coupons I've piled up in the last few weekends, and weed out / file the ones we'll use.

That's it for the moment...time to post, and get the show on the road. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

HEllo everyone! Doing good so far. 2 lbs down woo hoo. That was motivational for me!
I worked out monday and today...took tuesday off so that means I have to make sure to get my butt to the gym the rest of the week so I dont mess up my new goal! Wish me luck!!!

OMG!!! I'm about to need another vacation!!! Geesh!

Yesterday was my weigh in at WW. Unfortunately, I had eaten a bunch of stuff yesterday with zero poop, so I was only down 1/4 lb!!! That rots my sox, but hey...there's bound to be a HUGE weight loss soon, don't you think???? <Sigh>

I tortured myself last ngith after my meeting (acutally I skipped the meeting and went straight to shopping)! I went and bought some new clothes, but I tried on about a zillion outfits before I found just a few items that looked decent. One of the things I bought was a HALTER!!!! I haven't worn one of those since I was like 13!!! I tried it on (sans bra) and it was extrememly liberating...even more so than my bathing suit. I'm going to have to take it in a bit at the sides (boobs show a bit)...but it really was nice to buy something sexy. Even though my size is not down yet, I wanted something I could wear and feel good in. I also got a pair of white capris...nice ones...to wear with the halter. And I bought a sleeveless sweater (v-neck). I got some towels and washcloths (mine are so old!) and a pair of shoes/sandals (the sporty kind). I think that's it. But I was sooooooo very tired when I got home that I didn't even sit down to read posts. I have to run off to the grocery store tonight now, so this is going to be short!

I'll make comments later! You all are motivating me!