Just wanted to check in! I don't know what is wrong with me, either!! I feel like I have PMS to the MAX! Boy are we a group! Today wasn't the best day for me eating, although I did GREAT up until dinner. I made "Garfield Supper" for my family (lasagna - the boys love to think of it as G.S. ). And, I was starving and tense by the time dinner rolled around, and I ate more than I should have *sigh*. Damn that Garfield supper!!!

Jennifer - We are all SO proud of you!!! MIL and SIL were probably just insanely jealous over your beauty and got all in a huff!!! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!

Julie - I know you are excited about your camping trip. OOOH I am jealous!! I love to camp, but we are without a camper right now! What is the deal with TOM always being such a jerk?? Not fun!!!

Jaymi - Talk about LMAO!!! The bird from Dora??? That's hilarious!! Thank you for making me smile tonight!!!!

O.K., are you guys sick and tired of me always waiting for tomorrow.....but I am going to try to do better tomorrow....I am making myself grumpy just reading that statement. And, I wanted to get exercise in tonight, and I tried walking, and it felt like my broken toe was going to come off!! Ow!!!! Just a grumpy old granny I feel like!!! Just call me Grumpy Granny from now on!! Old Grumpy Fat *** Granny!!

Morning, chickies. It has been a hectic morning. So much oging on. The pain in the butt I work with has been out "at a doctor's appointment" this morning, but somehow has found a way to pester me at least 15 times, calling in, needing stuff done, wanting to follow up. Um, if you're at the doctor's office, how do you plan on taking a loan application over the phone? Stupid woman. Just tell me you are running late, or not coming in, but don't feed me a line of crap, and make me cover for your lying ***. Grrr. When it rains, it pours.

I had a headache right behind my eyes. My shadow here has been up my *** since 7:56, so I know I'm going to have to roll up a magazine & swat her if I am to get any peace & quiet today. I am destined to be cranky all day, it seems. LOL.

The short & sweet plan today:

Breakfast
pineapple cottage double
2/3 cup soy smart start
4oz mixed fruit cup

Lunch
3/4 cup taco meat
1 oz skim mexican mix cheese
1 low fat tortilla
4oz diced pears & peaches

PM exercise
do something, even though I feel like blowing it off. I'll feel better if I'm active.
really, I will. Suck it up, and get sweatty, and THEN I can lay around & do nothing
if I feel like it. (Psychology in action...lol)

Dinner
chicken breast tenderloins with a light coating of shake & bake
green beans
cucumber got too squishy, so add another veggie, or make whole wheat couscous
or something.

That's the plan...at least for the moment. Hopefully by tomorrow the headache will be gone, I'll feel better, and the funk will have passed. I know I have to keep things in high gear if I want to keep my new middle #, and the pizza is endangering that. Not going to give up that easy. No way.

Well chickies, It has taken me over 2 hours to type this, between calls, crisies, and chaos- if I miss anyone, it's because I've been rambling & you're all faster than me!

Happy Tuesday...at least it isn't Monday!

Yesterday was just a total write off! I'm not sure, but I think this "Fall" weather might have something to do with my mood! (Read below from an article I copied and pasted)! Yesterday temps MAYBE got up to 70!!! And lows dipped into the 40's!! We have been slighted out of Summer this year and it's only August!!! Today is another day like yesterday, only rainy too!

Q&A Time!! Low serotonin levels and carb cravings!

Q: I have recently heard of a study on serotonin levels in the body that stated when levels become low it can cause cravings for sweets or quick fixes in order to raise serotonin levels quickly. Do you have any additional information on serotonin? Are there any supplements one could take to keep these levels elevated and avoid the cravings?"

A: Youre right, low levels may cause increased cravings for carbohydrates, as eating these foods causes an increase in the production of serotonin. Surprisingly enough, 2/3 of the serotonin comes from cells around our digestive tracts and not our brainsleading to a direct link between mood and food!

So last night I made Zatarins Dirty Rice and added some vegies! Had a serving of that and was satisfied! I had made DD Mac & Cheese...the bowl sat there and was just calling me to come have a taste...I think I ate 1/2 the leftovers from it! That made my stomach just sick last night and I went to bed at 9 without any exercise again yesterday! I feel a bit guilty since I haven't exercised in 3-4 days, but again this morning I am not motivated to go down and do a mile! Blech! I sure am hoping this mood passes over me soon! This is just not like me and I'm blaming it on the weather!

I'm going to go have some coffee & breakfast and wait for DD to wake up...take my shower and get ready for my day! Our Marketing Director at work quit leaving all the work for our Community event (Antique Car Show) in my lap, so yesterday I spent a good portion of the day in my office making phone calls for donations!! What a crappy job that is!!! I still have to figure out how we are going to pay for trophys, etc and get this whole thing pulled off by the 22nd!!! I'll be gone for 5 days starting Friday, so I will need to kick it into high gear today! UGH!! We leave in 2 days for camping and I hope the weather warms up a bit!! I'll be ready for a break!!

Hope you all are having a good day! Hugs!

Morning, chickies. Wow, another late appearance for me today.

Someone turn the tazer on me. With all the last-minute stress, and not sleeping right, I overslept today. 3rd day with absolutely no exercise. Hubby made dinner last night, and decided we were having hot dogs & au gratin potatoes. I ate 2 hot dogs & about 1 cup and a half of the potatoes, and I'm up 4 fricking pounds from my weight on Friday. Pizza & Baileys' on Sunday, hot dogs...more fat than I am used to, and whammo- there it is, right on my *** again. Grrrr. And I have no excuses for this. I know what I need to do, and I can do it for so long without a catch, and then it's like something goes off in my head & I'm off kilter.

I know part of it was the in-law event & lack of commenting, and feeling sorry for myself, and then add the impending closing & last minute crap with the construction loan, and I'm lucky that I'm getting up & dressed. Breakfast & lunch have been fine for the last 2 days & then dinner falls apart.

Last night I even had 2 bowls of fat free sugar free chocolate pudding. I didn't need 2 bowls of that on top of hot dogs & au gratin potatoes. I don't need to continue setting myself up for these gains & the pissed-off feeling I'll be walking around with for the next 2 weeks, until these 4 pounds somehow drop off. Some might be water, some might be fat, some might be just waste product, but this is ridiculous & needs to stop.

Today's plan- and so help me, I need to just fricking do this.

Breakfast- as planned
1 apple & cinnamon cottage double
1/3 cup smart start
8 bite size mini wheats

Lunch
3/4 cup whole wheat elbows
3/4 cup meat sauce
sprinkle parmesan
4oz diced pears

Afternoon exercise- no matter what, get changed, and do something physical.
STOP FINDING EXCUSES!

Dinner
leftover chicken breast tenderloins
extra veggies- more green beans, and find something else to add.

NO LATE NIGHT PUDDING, OR SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE, STUPID!

That's it chickies. Somebody keep me on the straight & narrow, at least until the uncertainty of our closing is done with, and everything else falls into place. I need to be tazered back into submission, or something even worse!

Humpity Hump Day.....only 2 more opportunities for me to close this week. Grrr.

Even our fearless leader is not exercising! I was just wondering about you, chickie...can't find my MSN to get with you, so I will try to find it tonight...be there!

I'm blaming all of it on the atmospheric changes with the Hurricaine warnings and the cold weather we are having here (hard pressed to hit even 60 today!)...who wants to exercise!

I feel a challenge coming on here!!!!! When I get back from my 5 day camping outing, we are all gonna hit the exercise and HARD!!! But for now, if everyone can just do 20 minutes today and tomorrow, maybe that will get some of us back on track. TOM is winding down for me, so I have no excuses and will do SOMETHING tonight!! Should go now while hubby and DD aren't home!

Jaymi...you asked about coffee having calories...coffee in itself is calorie free, but the way I drink it (with lots of flavored creamer) it has plenty! I do buy the low carb, which has less sugar and carbs and calories, but still...probably about 20 calories per serving! That's a guess! Get going on something today and tomorrow, girl!

Lisa...I haven't forgotten about you, chickie! I hope your toe is feeling better, but just nurse it for now. Can you do the bike without pain? We have got to get our sh** together here, don't we?? I will have fun...wish you lived closer so we could camp and drink coffee together!!!

Lucy...hope youare working hard, my dear!!! That paycheck will be fun, eh? Are you still loving retail? I always did!

The rest of you...take care and let's get moving, eh?

Hugs,
Julie

I did at LEAST one mile tonight! Actually, I did 3.25 WATP miles! Boy...that sure felt good to get moving a bit! I think my digestive tract appreciated it more than anything in my body, if ya know what I mean! I need to do that every morning, but somehow it doesn't feel the same in the morning!
It takes me a while to wake up and whatnot and by then the time is ticking away!!! So, tonight I will get the kitchen cleaned up and have no excuses and tomorrow, I will get up and do my exercise! NO EXCUSES!!! FRIDAY TOO!

Still have some last minute stuff to do for camping (like ALL of it!) but hubby went grocery shopping tonight and bought DD new school shoes...he's so wonderful! I don't know how these single parents do it all??? I'm a little stressed this week with only having one more day at work and then only 3 next week before our BIG Antique Auto Show fund raiser. I have LOTS to do and am not getting much help...yet...from anyone! I sure hope I don't have to do this all by myself! I know my work partner will come through, but I"m not so sure about anyone else!

Hope everyone has a great night and a great day tomorrow. I probably won't check in in the morning because I will be EXERCISING!!!!

We finally closed on the construction loan, today at 4pm. Tired, mentally exhausted, relieved, nervous, and totally ready to collapse, because this has been the most trying week I've had since June.

I wanted to share a quote that was emailed to me by my veggie cop, and this really got my attention today.

Every moment of every day is your choice unless you give it away

That is so true, and in fact, that's exactly what I did in June, and again this week. I gave away the control, and the "choice" to do the right thing. I am usually the one totally in control, and I blew it when faced with 83 other things to try & control at the same time.

Tomorrow morning, I will choose to get up early, and exercise. And then I will choose to bring my pre-measured breakfast & lunch to work. And then I will choose to exercise when I get home, before even thinking about dinner, even if it means something hubby prepares gets cold & has to be re-heated, or goes un-eaten, because it is not something I should be having. I will choose to get back on track, and do what I know I need to do. Tomorrow will be my choice.

Make tomorrow, and Saturday, and Sunday, your choice. Don't give it away.

Love ya, chickies!

are sometimes hard to break! I ordered pizza tonight after a stressful day and had FOUR pieces!!!! And it was PAN pizza from Pizza Hut! OMG! How much worse could it get??? No salad fo rme today! No exercise, either! Unless you count all the bazillion times I walked over to the other building...I do always try to walk fast, but it's only a matter of 3-4 minutes at most! <sigh>

So, regardless of the fact that I will be camping for five days, this butt is up and moving in the morning to do at least 1 mile WATP...hopefully 2 miles depending onhow much time I have (should have plenty...I'm all packed and we aren't in a huge hurry to get out the door in the am!)

My activity level will be up this camping trip as I plan to do at least 30 minutes of something each day...maybe twice a day even! We are taking our bikes and there are lots of hills at this campground...all paved and places to ride as well as hiking trails and such, so I am excited about those prospects. I am taking my new hiking shoes and hope that I don't sweat in them and stretch the toes out a bit!

Food is well...I'm not sure! Hubby went grocery shopping so I don't know what he really bought (even though I sent him with a list! ), but I can make healthy choices and choose not to snack on JUNK!! I will allow myself ONE treat a day...maybe a s'more or a SF hotchocolate w/ buttershots by the fire! It IS supposed to be down in the 40's and 50's each night so it will be campfire and sweatshirt weather! Yea! Feels like Fall here, still! Might warm up a bit by the time we come back on Tuesday!

That's about it for me chickies! Ihope the rest of you that haven't been checking in are doing well and not getting the "not so good" vibes that have been going on here on this list! Please....let's all get back on track here next week! I'll be back on Tuesday with lots of good stuff to report! (Like how many miles I've ridden or walked!)

Hugs to all!

Hello chickies! As I was sitting here eating my ice cream… and getting ready to fix me some more…. I decided to post my goals for the week. Friday is as good a day to start right!! So I haven’t’ exercised…. But tomorrow is a new day. So far.. Maybe it’s just an excuse… but my daughter has been waking up at 5:30 am.. And during her nap time I always have to cook or do something important.. That’s been cutting off my exercise.. But I’m going to have to work it in anyway. So.. Here are my new goals for tomorrow:


Exercise at least 60 minutes per day!


Keep A positive attitude.. Or try my best!!


Stay on plan…. Keep calories at 1500


Start journaling again!!!!!


Drink Lots and Lots of Water!!!!!


: Lose 5 lbs for Labor Day!!!!


Now I plan on following that.. And getting back straight to working my butt off. I worked too darn hard to get where I am to blow it… regardless if summer is almost over or not… So what.. I can be ready for next summer!! I can do this! I have come too far now to go back I will NEVER go back!!! **** NO I WON”T GO!!! :rof:

Heya chickies- just a quickie- We're dealing with a lot of weather associated with Hurricane Charley- it is supposed to make landfall in the next few hours. They sent us home from work, and we're prepping right now. I may not be back on today, or even tomorrow. My parents and hubby's parents are also in danger of getting a more direct hit than us, but we'll be getting it first....

Just keep us in your thoughts, chickies. I'll post as soon as I can. Right now, NOAA has this up to a category 4 storm, which makes it very, very dangerous for all of us in FL now.

Here's the National Hurricane Center's site- this will tell you how we fare & what's happening...just send good vibes this way, for hubby & me, and both of our parents.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Every 3 hours there is an update- next one will be at 4pm....