Hi all! Very good day. Interesting to see what triggers eating for me. Trying to react to things differently and not fight battles that aren't mine anyways. My 10 year old is giving me a run for my money. I love him dearly but he seems to know how to push my buttons.

Made it to the gym - great 30 minute eliptical workout. Hopefully I'll get there in the morning too. Hope you are all doing well.

Quick Hello! Made it to the gym - I ran 2 miles and walked 1/4 mi. Felt great!!!! Love that music. The Dr. Phil book is very motivating. He challenges you to be very specific about goals and reasons for them. "Talk" later.

I totally agree w/TOF-we will thrive in 2005! I am back on the band wagon and have walked 10 miles in the past three days! I'm enjoying it but mostly I'm grateful that DH is participating as well. I'm on track w/my points. I'm only a "read the Bible in a year" program. Life is good. No complaints.

I will say that since I fell off the wagon for a little bit, I will be concentrating on walking w/DH and DD's. In March, when my adult son is moving out, I will start adding something in the mornings as well like I was doing before.

TOF-you're on fire, girlfriend. Keep up the good work. You're an inspiration.

Marie-I'm missing you! Hope to hear from you soon and hope things are going well for you.

Gotta run. Have a great health day!

Hi Skinny,

Great to hear about the walking. I hope to include the family too in the exercise routine. Yes, I feel great and I can tell that you're feeling well too. Tonight I'm going to try to get really specific about my goals for this health routine and other areas of my life too. I'm ready to move on a bit. School is off to a great start. Now that the course is over I am so much less stressed. Thanks for checking in and staying on track with me. I look forward to your wise comments and sharing. I couldn't do it without you. Take care.

Hi Marie, missing you! Hope all is well.

Just checking in. I walked for 60 minutes yesterday and was on-point (op) w/my WW points. Feel like I'm truly, truly back on track now.

TOF-so glad the stress of your course is over for you! I know it's a tremendous burden lifted. Sounds like you are back on track as well. My short term goal is to lose 5-10 pounds between now and Valentine's day. My mid-term goal is to get under 200. I gained about 10 pounds through Thanksgiving and Christmas so I'm going to have to back track a little but that's okay. Better than back tracking all the way back to 249!

Marie-still missing you. Hope life is good and you're just too busy to check in. Let us heear from you soon!

DH's medicine is finally starting to kick in. We are having more good days than bad now. He still hasn't found employment but he's working on it. He has more motivation than I've seen in a while so that's good. Thanks for all your prayers and good thoughts for us. Keep 'em coming, please!

Wayward adult son is moving out in March. Yeah! I love the child but it has been an inconvenience for him to be there. I'm glad we could help, though and think he will be fine on his own in March. Of course, we'll still have him over for dinner, etc but it will be nice to have our living room back!

Well, gotta run. Have a good health day, ladies. Talk to everyone soon!

Oh-I didn't get my cross stitch done in time for Christmas so I guess the DD's will get them for Valentines Day!

Also, there's a Valentine's Day challenge on this board. I believe it is under support groups. Listed under Valentinies challenge, in case anyone wants to check it out.

Hi all, things are going good here. I weighed in yesterday and had gained a pound over the holidays. I guess that it not too bad considering I fell off the diet wagon with a big thud over the last couple weeks. The munchies had done me in. But I'm back on track and am choosing healthy foods. I guess that's the big difference. My food choices were getting pretty pathetic more so than overeating. I just didn't care. Now I do. I'm so relieved the holidays are over.

I've been exercising quite a bit. DH is back on day shift for four months so we made a pact to exercise MWF. I do the Gazelle and he does either the nordic track or the exercycle. So for the last week we've been doing that. Then on the other days, we're taking the dogs out to the mtn. in back of our house to go walking. I always thought walking in sand was a little difficult but it's nothing compared to walking in snow. I think those days I've gotten a real workout. Tomorrow we're planning to cross country ski the walking trail since there's enough snow now.

Skinny, I'm glad that things are going good for you and and your DH. Being that I'm the one that has the bipolar, I don't know how it really effects my DH when I have the bad slides. At that point, I'm so wrapped up in myself, that I don't notice. I'm sure it does irritate him, though. I think he's probably more used to it than you are at the moment. One thing my dr. told me when things are going right is that it is a nasty condition that is always evolving. What is working this week to keep it in control might not work the next week. I admit I wasn't thrilled with that comment because at that point I was doing really good. What she was trying to do is get my expectations in line so that when I had problems I would be more equipped to handle it. I'm glad now since winter is more difficult for me. I just long for spring and longer days.

TOF - great job on the exercise. You're doing great. So are you skinny. It seems we're all back on the wagon again. TOF, I'm glad that you're just enjoying your job with a lot less stress. Takig that class seemed like it was just the last straw in the stress category. Way to go for finishing it.

That's about it from here. I need to get back to work.
Marie

Hi Marie and Skinny, good to hear from you. Skinny, you've had a lot on your plate and you've made it through and only gained a little through it! Tremendous. Glad to hear that your DH is feeling better. I'm sure the job will come in time. I'm also glad to hear that your son will be on his own. I have a family member like that and he is better off on his own. My mom has him to dinner often and that works well.

Yes, we're all back! Yeah. I feel better and look better. The exercise really helps in the appearance category - I guess it gets the blood flowing and brings the color back. I'm calling my plan 1500-30, 1500 cals a day and 30 mins of some kind of workout. Today I did a cross between the eliptical, treadmill and a little stairmaster at the gym. Felt good. Eating is going well. Thanks so much for being here. I look forward to checking in with you every day. Have a good night and day.

Checking in to stay on track. Good day. 30 min. workout at gym - I jogged the whole time slowly. Healthy eating day. Snow day today here so no school. I've been reading the Dr. Phil book - very helpful as it really unravels one's reasons for overeating. Take care.

Hi TOF and Skinny, I hope you both are having good days. I did pretty good today although I could have had a little more restraint when it comes ice cream. But overall, I did fine. Today DH and I took the dogs cross country skiing before it got too dark. I will be glad when the days are longer - we barely have enough time to go and return after work. But we did and it was great. It's been where we've been going for walks so the trail was familiar. I haven't cross country skied in 2 years, but it was great. Even going back up the hills. I can really tell I've been exercising. I didn't huff and puff the whole time. And today was the no exercise day in my DH and my resolution. We agreed to exercise MWF together and the other days are play days. I think I'm getting more exercise on the play days than the exercise days.

I'm very happy tomorrow is Friday. I've had to work all week and I don't do that all that often. I have a 200 day contract and I do work some in the summers so I take lots of days off during the school year. So this week and next, I am working full weeks. Hence, my joy that it is Friday tomorrow and the week is almost done. It's been busy at work, but I like that so I don't get bored.

TOF - I know that I overeat when I am bored, angry or nervous. I've already identified those. Do you think that Dr. Phil can give more insight than that? If yes, like what are you finding. I could as a friend at work if I could borrow the book if you think that it would be beneficial. Also, I hope you enjoyed your snow day. I love those.

Talk to you later.
Marie

Hi all. Marie, I love to cross country ski. I love to hear about your beautiful country adventures.

What I've learned from the book so far is the following:
make your goals clear and specific
overeating or eating healthy is a choice
eating can be emotional and covering up for other issues and you need to resolve those issues before thinking you can stop eating and get healthy.
I've been looking a little more deeply at my choices and when I started overeating. Very interesting. Nothing new, just a deeper understanding of it.
I like the interactive nature of his book for where I am right now since I have never given myself much permission to take care of myself and do things for myself, so I've settled for less and different than what I really want.
Hope that helps you.

Fairly good eating day today, no ex unfortunately, but hopefully a double tomorrow. I'll have to rethink Fridays.

Take care and so good to hear from you. I appreciate your support.

Thanks TOF for the info about the book. I think I will ask my firend if I can borrow it. It certainly won't hurt to read it. Maybe I can get at the root of making poor food choices instead of good healthy ones even though I stay in the calorie zone.

I too dind't exercise on Friday. By the time I normally would exercise, it was getting too late and we'd just had dinner. So we are going to exercise today instead. We had a bunch of new snow and I'd love to go skiing today. But DH has to work so it might be too late to go when he gets off. We'll see.

This morning I had healthy fiber cereal and a not healthy candy bar. Why oh why do I do that??? I started off the day badly. I'd say it's the TOM but I think that's just an excuse for this one. As I took the candy bar I asked myself if I wanted to stay fat and of course I said no, but then I added that I really wanted the candy bar. How dumb. So now I have to make allowances in the calories for the day for that. Bad, bad.

Today and tomorrow are football days. I probably will watch most of the 4 games since the season is ending and I love football. I have to get as much as possible. I'm making a stained glass howling wolf panel and I need to solder it together. Then it will be done. I don't know what I'm going to do with it since I don't have any windows left to put glass in, but I'll figure it out. I'll probably start to rotate the glass.

I'm also knitting a sweater on my knitting machine. I don't have enough yarn so I had to order more last night. Nowhere in town had it. I also think I made it too big - thinking of the old me and the size I was. But it's pretty and I like big sweaters so it will be okay. I'm going to make it as far as I can with the yarn that I have. Beyond stained glass, football and knitting, I don't know what I'm going to do today. I have to entertain myself since DH isn't here. Maybe I'll taked some time to clean today too. Right now I'm sitting in front of my lightbox wishing that it was the sun and summer. I am not a winter person.

Skinny, where are you?

Take care and I'll chat with you soon.
Marie

Hi Marie and Skinny. We've been without sunlight for about a week now. I know that because part of our water is solar heated and it's been a while since I had a steaming hot bath.

You inspired me Marie. I took my son cross country skiing for two hours today. BEAUTIFUL!!!! The snow was falling with big fat flakes and we were skiing on a woodsy trail near a golf course. Some nice hills and a little bridge.

Great on exercise, but bad on eating. The exercise has made me ravenous. I've experienced this before. Have you? Then I didn't read some labels and ended up making myself a very high cal lunch. So I'll have to think about this and make the right changes. Have a good day. Skinny, we miss you!

Hi Skinny and Marie. Hope you're well. I'm still fighting the battle. I'm winning on the exercise end as I had anothe great workout today. Quite challenged on the food front - I'm doing well not eating the junk food, but I'm eating a bit too much healthy food. I think the exercise is making me hungry.

Yes, it's me. No, I didn't fall off the earth. We added a new program to my computer which, of course, messed up almost everything else! Oh, well. Here I am.

I have been doing well w/eating and exercise. I did have two pieces of bday cake last week (separate bday parties, though) but did well otherwise. I've been walking at least 60 minutes every time I've exercise so that's going well.

Marie-don't be too hard on yourself for your eating choices. Sometimes, you just need to eat the candy bar and get it over with! I know that I crave certain things during TOM as well. I've been told that taking zinc during TOM helps w/cravings. Not sure if it works but might be worth a try. Hang in there! Did you get to go skiing? I would love to learn how. I always thought it would be fun.

TOF-How's your eating going? I hope all is going well. Yes, I do notice a change in my appetite when I exercise on a regular basis. I guess we need fuel for all the muscle we're building! Maybe you need lower calorie healthy food? What do you snack on? Glad you enjoyed your skiing. Like I told Marie, I'd love to learn sometime.

I'm going to my sister's this weekend; just me. Her husband and her were a retreat for me as a single parent. They spoiled me rotten! So, I called and told her I needed to get away from here for a while. She's already informed me that I'm getting breakfast in bed! Can hardly wait! Plus, she's been through the depression issue w/her DH so she can understand where I'm coming from.

DH is doing okay. He starts counselling on 01/14/2005! YEAH! He seems to be dealing w/a lot of anger. The silliest little things really tick him off and that's not his normal reactions. Anyway, praying that the counseling will help a bunch. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing family counseling at some point. We have good days and bad days. Saturday was a very rough day. Part of Sunday was rough as well. I just feel like I'm drowning sometimes. We haven't spent any time alone for quite a while which is part of our problem. So, we've committed to not going to bed until we've talked about our day and setting aside time once a week to be just us. Going to get coffee or something but no kids, no tv and no phone. I think that will help us a lot. I just feel like there are a lot of things that I can't say to DH b/c I think it will make him feel worse. But, he's my best friend so I'm used to telling him everything. Instead I just keep it bottled inside, which isn't good. So, we're learning together.

Well, glad to be back. We can do it!!!

Just wanted to check in. Things here are good. Did well w/points, water and exercise yesterday. I walked 5 miles. That's 14.25 for Friday, Sat. Mon. I take Sunday and Weds off as I'm too busy w/church and family stuff on those days. I did get up and exercise w/my stretching video Sunday morning. Otherwise, I would have been walking like a cowboy coming in from a long cattle drive! I was sooo sore! But the stretching really helped. May have to do that again tonight before bed!

Ck in soon to let me know how things are going for both of you.

My computer's acting up again. Took me a while to log on to the web today. But I'm pretty stubborn and wanted to say "hi" to my friends.

Have you seen the 01/10/2005 issue of People magazine? It has a section of articles that focuses on everyday folks just like us who have lost 1/2 their body weight! No surgery, pills or gimmicks. Just folks who got tired of being over weight. It's pretty good and VERY inspiring. The least-LEAST amount of weight that someone lost was 105 pounds. The most weight lost was 165! Grab a copy of it if you can. If not, pm me and I will gladly mail you copies of it. People.com is their website. The access code: incredible.

It did me good to see these articles. It encouraged me to stay w/healthy eating and exercise, even if I couldn't see any changes yet. I (we) just have to keep pushing through, encouraging and cheering each other forward. We can do it, ladies. I can hardly wait to reach my healthy goal weight!

Keep up the good work!