Sandy - I believe we're taking US-31 the entire way. I live in Michigan, but about 8 miles from South Bend & Notre Dame...so 31 is right there. It's on May 26th, and I can't WAIT!!!

Well, I got in a 20 minute walk...I'm going to write one of my other assignments that was due...last week. Then, I may pop in one of my workout dvds, and annoy the neighbors!

Annie - We must have posted at the same time....but holy WOW!!! 10 lbs!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Hi all!

Good weekend for me here...stayed pretty much op, even though I cooked quite a bit for the family. "Discovered" a fun new treat from a friend who attends WW meetings. They are packs of little candies called Fruities...not too bad when I feel like I need just a little something.

Jill and Wyllenn...I also had trouble sleeping last night. That's nothing too new for me though...I bet 5 out of 7 I have trouble sleeping. To top it all off, today was one of the days I have to actually travel to the office - over two hours one way! Needless to say, I am pretty tired tonight so I'm going to say goodnight to all!

Cris

Well here are some personals to try and catch up, and just to make myself known around here again! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Jill- Great for you on making the lunches. I make the fixings for twenty-five lunches every Sunday. All five of us take lunch everyday! It does seem to help a little doesn’t it?

Emilymay- Wow, it all sounds really exciting and scary too! Just put your best foot forward as far as the food is concerned and you will be back in no time. Great job with the exercise though. That is really wonderful. Congrats on making your April goal.

Wyllen- I am sorry to hear you are up again. Stress can be so damaging. Good luck and try to stay positive.

Toofatforu- I am so glad to hear you are feeling good. You know you have not felt well when you are looking forward to exercise!

Torister- Congrats on the two pounds down. Some times a spike in calories and then back on plan can actually help the diet. Good luck to you.

Lesley- I’ll take .1 anyday! Congrats for you too, that is a huge mile marker. You deserve that Tai Chi class. I am sure you will love it. And it helps with the coordination, so there you go.

Ammi- Congrats on meeting your April goal! I hope all is well and stays sunny in Wales.

Brenda- Wow, your first paid photography job! That is a really big deal. Congratulations.

Sharon- I hope you feel better soon. The things kids bring home still astounds me.

LeAnneCarrington- Congratulations on being back in the two’s you ROCK!

Kayley- I am so sorry to hear about your gain. I did a lot of that when I started too. It is so incredibly frustrating. You will make it through this. Just stick with it and you will do great.

Catherine- Congratulations on your landing first of all, you have waited so long and have been strung, you must be thrilled. Anyway, about the party how about putting the focus on doing something that has to do with Canada instead of food. Like everyone could bring you something or some piece of info about your new country that you don’t have. You could also plan the party at a different time of the day than the usual evening soire. That way food may not be the main focus. Good luck finding something!

Lilion- Congrats on your garden. I love mine. You sound like you were a very busy little gardener this past weekend. I just love it. It makes you feel so good to dig in the dirt!

Sandy- Wow congrats to your husband. I know you can do this, you won’t let him beat ya!

Donna- I am sorry to hear about your principal. I did my stint on a public school PTA and the super was awful. Such a pain in the ….. Anywhooo I am so sorry to hear about your neice’s dog. Our furry friends are one of our truly pure joys.

Annie- I am sorry to hear you are in a funk. I hope you feel better soon. Congrats on the 10 lbs though!

Well, I have to go for now. One more costume fix before the first show tomorrow! I can’t wait. They are all really great. I hope everyone has a great night.

Carolyn

Cris - The Fruities are yummy but be careful not to eat to many or you may be making lots of trips to the bathroom. Alot of people I know (me included) have gotten upset tummies from eating a few too many.

Annie - on another 10 pounds down! You deserve this success after all the hard work you have put in. I am sorry you are feeling down. Sleep deprivation can really do a number on our moods. I hope you are able to get your CPAP ASAP (I made a rhyme ) and can get a good night's sleep.

Lesley - on being under 300!!!! I hope to join you soon.

Catherine - If we are near the skywalk I will definitely try it out. It will probably scare me but that is half the fun!

Ammi - Core is a plan where you don't have to count points except when you eat non-Core foods. The gist of the plan is that you have a Core food list which basically includes lean meats, all veggies and fruits (except dried fruits like raisins or fruit juice), brown rice, whole grains, etc. You can eat as much of the Core foods as you need to feel satisfied. They give you 35 Flex points for the week for you to spend on non-Core foods. So there is less counting and weighing. I think it works for me because I am really burnt out on weighing and measuring and counting. Besides, it wasn't chicken breasts and green beans that got me this fat so why spend so much energy counting all that? What I really need to limit is the sugary food, the empty calories, the chips, the snacks, etc. And that is where the 35 points come in.
Well, I better get off this computer. I have some Calculus homework to do. Take care everyone.

Xena - Calculus?!?! Yikes!!! I'm dreading taking Basic Algebra this summer! lol

I got in 20 minutes of my cardio dance dvd. Boy, it wore me out. I remember when I could do the whole 50 minutes, and just be a little tired. Gotta get BACK into shape! I hope I didn't bother my neighbors downstairs TOO much! lol....I got one of my assignments done, so it's on to another one! This time for public speaking...oh joy. At least the semester is ALMOST done...Thursday...whew! And I get more of a break than I thought! Classes don't start until June 11th, so I get about a month off!!!

YEAH ANNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brenda

Well, I did it again. Tonight I walked into a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins fully intending to get myself something after a horribly stressful day at work. I walked in, stood there for a minute, and walked out again. This is so weird. I haven’t been like this in so long. It is kind of scary, but at the same time I know I can get through it. I just have to hang on to the good habits I have built and work through whatever is bothering me so much. I am heading to bed with a book.

Nancy - for not giving in!!! I hope you have a peaceful evening, and a better tomorrow!!!

Ladies...you won't believe it....

I TOOK PICTURES OF MYSELF IN MY BATHING SUIT. Oi. But it's for the good. They are going in my before pictures. The more the better, right? lol.

Well, I'm off of here for the night. I have a few things to do on Photoshop before I call it a night. Dinner's all cooked, now I'm just waiting for my sugarbear to get home.

Thanks everyone for your congratulations and kind words on my first milestone. I'm pleased about the number especially considering my less-than-stellar eating last week as well as impending TOM.

Hubby is away in Vegas this week for some kind of computer conference, so I'm home alone, which is nice in a way, going by my own whims and schedule, but it's a bit lonely, especially at night. Still, I'm enjoying my 'me' time.

My internet is acting up tonight, it's taking FOREVER for any pages to load, and it's frustrating me to no end!

Jill, good for you for planning out your lunches for the week! Out of curiosity (and potentially to do the same), what kind of things did you make ahead of time?

Emily, congrats on meeting your April exercise goal!

wyllenn, sometimes all we can do is hold on and weather the storm as best we can. I hope things start to calm down soon.

Patti, glad to hear you're looking forward to exercise! Amazingly, I have finally come round to enjoying it, too - never thought I'd say that!

Peggy, it can be difficult to eat right on the road, but good for you for getting back on track! You are so close to Two-Town, you will be there soon! I hope the dentist visit went well, as well as a trip to the dentist can go, anyway.

Ammi, glad to hear the sun is out in Wales! We could actually do with a bit of rain over here, although I love having the sunshine, too.

Brenda, good for you for getting back on track today. And a big for getting your first paid photography job! That should generate some good 'word of mouth' advertising for you, too.

Sharon, sorry to hear you're under the weather. and be sure to give yourself some TLC - mommies need that, too!

LAnne, gosh you are just amazing me with your weight loss and journey to a healthy you. I can relate to how wonderful it feels to be out of the 300s - congratulations!

Kayley, it can be hard to stay motivated, especially when the scale doesn't reflect the hard work we've put in. But stay strong - you can (and will) do this! Have you taken measurements? Sometimes folks find that's a better way to track their progress - sometimes the scale doesn't move even if the inches do. As for breakfasts, have you tried oatmeal? I'm not a huge fan of it, but I can eat it and I find it's one of the few things that fills me up for more than a couple hours. I'm glad to hear you resisted the emotional eating, and be sure to eat lots of veggies - you get a lot of bang for your buck, so to speak!

Catherine, it's amazing how much food factors into our celebrations and other social gatherings, isn't it? They're like booby traps for us! I don't really have any suggestions for you beyond what the others have already said. I guess it depends on what kind of things you and your friends like to do. Is it warm enough yet to plan a day at the park, with different activities (kite-flying, etc.) and a BYO-type picnic where food wouldn't be the focus, and you could bring your own healthy things to eat.

You know, I have to say I'm in awe of you. Everytime I see you post and look at how far you've come, I think to myself that if you can do it, so can I. So thank you for helping me in my own journey. I'm sorry you've seen a gain this week - are you contemplating scale scare tactics again?

Lilion, your vegetable garden sounds wonderful! I wish I had the knowledge (and patience) for something like that. Everytime I've tried to grow edible plants, the bugs get to them before I do. I bet you will be having some scrumptious meals this summer!

Sandy, it can be a bit frustrating to watch our SOs lose more than we do, can't it? But good for him for losing 60 lbs!

Donna, that's awesome that you got the DVDs you wanted, and at such a great price, too! I hope things settle down at your school - sounds like a very stressful situation. It can be so hard to lose a pet, I suppose the only positive thing is at least he didn't suffer for long, but that's cold comfort when an animal you loved is gone. for your niece and her family.

Annie, congratulations on your loss - that's awesome! I'm sure a lack of sleep is what's behind your in-a-funk mood. Once your body adjusts more to your diet, I'm sure you'll feel better, too. And hopefully you can get that sleep apnea machine soon! I'm also job-hunting, and for pretty much the same reasons as you. I'd feel better having that extra bit of money coming in, but so far I haven't gotten anything beyond a couple interviews.

Cris, good for you for staying OP! I've never heard of those fruities before - do they contain added sugar? Another good option if you need a sweet fix is frozen grapes - so yummy!

Carolyn, one more costume - you are superwoman! I hope you can post some pics of the outfits, I bet they are adorable!

Xena, you are soooo close to Two-Town, you'll be there in no time!

Nancy, at least you walked out of DD without indulging your craving. And you will come through this, I'm sure - you definitely have the right attitude.

OK, I'm off to bed - good night, ladies!

Kayley: Thanks. 20 Minutes of cardio when you have been away from it for a while is AWESOME! Way to go.

Cris: I have to 2nd What Xena said about Fruities. They are so good but, eat too many and tummy ache and potty time is what you will have. lol.

Carolyn: Have a great time at the show! Take pics of your work for us to see please!

Xena: Loved the rhyme! I really think you are right about the sleep thing. I am afraid to sleep but don't sleep well when I do fall asleep. I can't wait for that CPAP machine.

Brenda: Thanks. Hugs to you.

Nancy: I am sooooo proud of you for walking out of the donut/ice cream shop. I know If I walked any where near chocolate/peanut butter Baskin Robbins Ice cream I would not be so tough as to turn and walk away. I loooooove ice cream. Obviously. lol. Good for you though.

Lesley: I'll be praying for you to find just the right job.

Ammi: Hugs. So sorry I had to rush off today. Just when we were getting to chat. Darn it all. The lady at the interview was soooo rude to me. I wish I stayed chatting with you instead! Joel and I went to Costco When he got home from work and I stayed in the car. lol. I didn't want to see all the fooooooooood. lol. Hope tomorrow is a beautiful day again for you.

Well, I'm off to try to get some sleep. I have my bi-monthly Ortho torture tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. sharp. LOL time to adjust the braces. I hope you are all doing wonderfull and having super op days tomorrow with lots of fresh air and exercise involved. I am hoping to come home and work in the yard planting flowers.
Blessings to you all,
Annie

Hey everyone-

I haven't been on in a while. I am so behind on the boards! I have been so sick with a cold! I am feeling a little better now. Can't seem to catch a break lately with my health!

CATHERINE~ Congrats on becoming legal! A little late telling you but I hope things continue to go well up there for you!

LESLEY~You must be so excited! Getting under 300 is my first goal. I bet you were so happy!

BRENDA~WTG on getting your first paid photography job!

LANNE~YAY on getting to two-terville!

KAYLEY~I am so sorry you had a gain. I hate when that happens when we do everything right!

ANNIE~Congrats on losing another 10 pounds! You are doing awesome hun!

NANCY~What a great NSV! I don't know if I could have walked in to baskin robbins and walk out with nothing.


Well I need to go take some cold medicine and hopefully get some sleep. Hope you all have a good day.

Okee .. Im back .. AGAIN!!! This time I have made a decision and with my daughters help Im sticking to it this time.

April saw another disaster in our family .. this year has so far sucked royally ... Feb my lamb died, March my nephew died, the week before my birthday (April) my sister was hit in a head on collision by a car passing on the wrong side of the road on a corner, incredibly enough even tho the car was totalled and she had to get cut out of it she had no broken bones, the seat belt and air bag did do alot of injury tho, she also had her left knee dislocated and right ankle sprained. By the time I was able to get to the hospital to see her (she was hit on Wed night and I got there on the Saturday), I was lucky enough to see her take her first steps, only after those steps she didnt walk again for over a week, but she was allowed home on Friday last week, with a wheelchair, a long road of recovery coming up .. but I am just sooooo thankful that I wasnt about to lose another member of my family so soon .....BUT then yesterday my dad rang me to let me know my aunty Gladys died in the early morning. In a way its good that she is now at peace, but OMG .... how many more!!???

Ashleigh had a breakdown on the weekend. My poor baby. Her english teacher told her she had to read a certain book for her class .. and what was it about??? A boy who died from cancer!!! ARGGGGHHHH How darn insensitive can an educator get??? So I rang them and blasted the bejeepers out of them. So when we got the news yesterday about Aunty Glad .. boy her world just went blah. We have an appointment at her school with the councellor and dean to review some options. She doesnt want to go to school any more so we are going to look at seeing if we can get her into a polytechnic environment instead.

After everything that has gone wrong ... and the stress of opening a new shop (which is going fine by the way lol) .. Im disappointed to find that I am back over the 280pound mark again .. BUT .. the annoying visitor has just turned up so Im hoping that when I do my weigh in next week it will give a good result.

Ash and I got up this morning and started from scratch .. both got on the scales, pulled out the tape measure .. and worked out our meals and snacks for the day. I have made a deal with my daughter as well to get her to join in the workouts with me (Im going back to the basics -WATP & Richard Simmons, but will go to the gym at least once a week as well) ... For every hour of exercise that she does with enthusiasm instead of her half hearted past attempts (lol) she will get 2 hours on the internet (which she lost the privaledges to when she gave me the huge phone bill lol) ... just to show how desperate she is to be able to get back online .. she agreed rofl.

So now Im 35 ... I have a new target for short term goal (Ashleighs 16th birthday in August) .. and I will pop in each day .. I realise I really need this site to keep me accountable, Im also back to using Fitday too ... 1800 calories for me .. and Ash is on 1880 (she shocked me when she got on the scales and is 193 pounds!). So for her birthday we are aiming for 180 for her and 260 for me.

Love and hugs to everyone ...

Oh .. only one really important positive (for me anyway) .. my daughter is talking to me about what she is thinking and feeling instead of bottling it up .. Im really praying this is that turning point I have been told happens after all the grief of the teenager rofl. And I have now plucked the 2 grey hairs that have recently appeared ... hairdresser is in 4 weeks rofl.

Good Morning All,

I had my WI this morning and I lost another 2 lbs I have now lost in UK terms 8 stone I am feeling pretty happy about that in case you didn't notice

Kayley - I got your PM thanks. How you stuck it out as long as you did amazes me, good for you for hanging in there for as long as you did

Glad that your finger is on the mend now and that you are up to a bit more typing

Sandy - I did send you an offline message on Yahoo, but in case you didn't get it I just want to say to your hubby on getting the new job. I hope he'll be really happy there

I hope you have a good day today and aren't in pain like yesterday

Annie - how horrid that the woman who interviewed you was so rude. Sounds like it won't be a bad thing if you don't get that job, you don't want to have to work with the likes of her!!

So what charm did you pick for your bracelet?

Cris - I used to love those Fruities, problem is that I couldn't stop at one or two, I had to eat the whole pack, and as Xena mentioned that meant a lot of trips to the bathroom I have had my ostomy since then and now eating a packet of those sweets would end up dehydrating me, so I stay well clear!!

Carolyn - yes it's sunny here again in Wales, and I am loving it. The temps aren't as hot as I would like, but that's because we have a cool breeze blowing. Oh well time enough for the real heat in July and August

Xena - thanks for explaining about the Core plan. My problem with that would be that given free reign on all that food would just make me make a pig of myself. Ok so it's all 'good' food but I am sure when they say eat until you are satisfied they don't mean eat like I think I could So I think I am safest sticking to counting points. It's worked well so far

Nancy - I have never actually gone into a Dunkin Donuts. The only one I have seen was in London, and I was loaded down with suitcases at the time, so couldn't go in. That said, if I could have, I am sure I couldn't have walked out empty handed. I LOVE donuts So good for you for being able to go in and not buy anything. Seems you are really surprising yourself but in the best way possible I'm sorry work is so stressful, and I hope it all calms down for you soon.

Lesley - did hubby get a look at that Vegas website? I hope he gets to see some of the things that were on the list and that he isn't holed up at the conference for the whole time. When does he come home?

Michelle - I am sorry that you are still feeling unwell, you really got it right when you said you can't catch a break. Maybe it's knowing that it's not such a hardship getting to a doctor now that you have moved, your body is allowing itself to get sick whereas before in Alaska it wouldn't. When I was a kid my mum worked two jobs and couldn't afford to get sick. But guaranteed that when she had holiday time she would ALWAYS be sick, it really was like she knew it was OK to get sick then, so she did get sick. Funny how the mind works Anyway I hope you will feel better soon

Katt - I am really sorry to hear about your sister being in the car crash, and about your Aunty passing away. Poor Ash too, how awful for her teacher to expect her to read that book. I am sorry she's having such a hard time of it, but am so glad she has you to turn to for comfort! It really hasn't been a good year so far has it Well let's hope that from now on there will only be good things happening for you and your family including the weight loss you are aiming for

Patti - I hope you had a good night's sleep and that you woke up full of energy and the joys of Spring like you did yesterday

Sharon - how are you feeling today? Is the throat any better? Daren and I are going to the gym this afternoon and going straight to pick Beth up from school afterwards, but hopefully I won't be too tired to have a chat with you on MSN before tea.

Lisa - where are you? I hope you are at least reading posts. How is your ankle now? What about your diet, has the nutritionist given you a non liquid diet but one that will still help you get those lbs off?

Zelma - how are you? Are the anti depressants helping you feel a bit better now, I hope so

Hugs,

Ammi

Good morning ladies!
It seems i miss alot of posts lately due to my busy work schedule i have read and tried to keep up with everyone, you all give me much motivation and desire to continue this journey! congratulations to all the losers, you are doing fabulous To anyone struggling, dont give up, think of the end result of your journey;, better health and a slimmer body
I am doing good, just working too much. my weigh in is thursday and i am hoping to see another loss. i guess if there is a "downside" to losing, its that the more i lose, the more "loose skin" i notice i mean, nothing major, but way more noticable than before. hopefully excersise will continue to help, but i am thinking, "ok, i am going to need some major plastic surgery, lol". can anyone advise me on your thoughts or experiences? can you tell me it will get better, lol? anyway, thanks for letting me whine some.
My NSV for this week was finding out that a regular size 16 (not plus) was too big for me, and that the pair of pants i have that are a 14(and fit) were not a fluke, i actually wear a 14 i know i am too hard on myself, it comes from years of feeling "less than" due to my wt. its hard for me to realize the changes inside and out that i have made, hopefully my head will "catch up" with my body.
ANNIE: awesome wt loss! you are doing really well, i hope you get over your funk, i know the feeling.
sorry no personals, i need to go to work. i wish you all a wonderful day