Just a quick check in before getting ready for school. Hope everyone has a great day!

Hydra, you are so committed. Keep it up!

Patch, PSR is Parish School of Religion. It's religious Ed for kids who go to puclic school.

More later...

Well, I got on the scale today (I know I was going to wait, but oh well) and I might be down one more pound. I will be so excited on Saturday if its true.

I am getting close to the 30s and finding that very motivating!

I am glad to see everyone posting away. I just started a new class so my schedule is more hectic, but I will try to stop by and make sure I read up and catch up!

Have a good day all you BFFs
;-)

girl and dog: welcome!

patchworkpenguin: the preemie outfits are adorable! You do beautiful work!

vjack: welcome! I'm 47, too. I don't work outside the home so I have time to devote to healthy living as well. I've been using it to shop at farmer's markets, grow some of my own food, and cook nearly everything from scratch. Oh, and exercising at least a little every day.

Hydra: never tried diabetic cookies -- hope you find something that works. I did a search on one of my favorite cooking blogs and came up with these: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives...es-recipe.html. If you used dark chocolate, these would be sugar-free. And I like that there's no artificial sweetener.

Newleaf and Marie: I'm the opposite of you -- I've just discovered that I love planning all of my eating! I was really skeptical when I first tried it, but it eliminates dozens of decisions during the day and reduces my stress, plus eliminating emotional eating. It's so much fun to see how everyone approaches this journey differently!

CruiseCat: hope you're healing well.

We've got a busy week on tap, but I have the evening meals planned and I think we'll cope. Tonight's adventure is a Landscaping class that we're taking through the Missouri Botanical Garden. This is the third class, but all the others have met from 7 to 9. Tonight's class meets at 6 so we can have a private tour of the Garden before dark. We're really looking forward to it, but since we normally eat around 8, dinner is a challenge. I've got a pot of beans on the stove. DH will make that into refritos this afternoon. Then it will be a quick bit of work to make bean enchiladas for an early supper.

Hello ladies....

I reached my first fitness goal, finally...I ran my first 10K this weekend! My time was 1:04:42, which was better than what I thought I would do, since I usually run about an 11-min mile. I was able to run the entire way without stopping to walk - although I can say I was pretty much dying by the time I crossed the finish line! lol It was a very fun, exciting weekend, and I'm looking forward to more!

Hydra, I hope you’re having a good day off and are feeling better.

Cruise and Heidi, I have that little voice poking at me as well. Ah, one day off plan won’t hurt. Ah one piece of b-day cake won’t hurt. Add all my devil voice suggestions up and that’s how I ended up fat in the first place. Heidi, great job driving right on home.

Penguin, I chuckled at your yellow comment. If someone doesn’t know if it’s a boy or girl, yellow is the color choice. And you’re right, it would look horrible on a jaundice baby. I will keep that in mind for future gifts.

Jasmine, WTG on completing the 10K. You did great and should be so proud of yourself.

Joy, that you’re opposite of Newleaf and my not liking to preplan foods, it just goes to show that this is a very individual journey. I look at those magazines that have a month’s worth of food menus and cringe. We’re all individuals and can’t be fit into a box. I’m glad the preplanning works for you. I’m betting it would be easier. I just couldn’t live with it long term and I’m in this for the rest of my life.

I’m back at work today. I was sick the last two days and really thought I was nearing 100%. As the day is wearing on, clearly I’m not. Oh well, I can be sick here as well as at home. I think I have a fever that has been coming and going. On and off my desk heater has been all morning. People come in my office and start stripping since they say “It’s so hot in here”. Oh well. Can you tell my sympathies aren’t really deep???
Marie

I'll be leading our little group i our Bible Study all by myself tomorrow morning. I've only done this once before but I'm not as nervous as I could be. There's only 10 'girls' in our group and it sounds like half of them won't be there tomorrow. My co-leader is going to be out of town,also. Lucky her.

Marie, I know what you mean about yellow. I pulled out an old knitting bag and found a half finished baby hat in YELLOW! So I finished it yesterday but chuckled the whole time. Its for a full size baby so hopefully it will be fine.

Jasmine, Whoo-hoo on your 10k!

DMC, What is your new class about?

OMW, How interesting. I didn't know they had a religion course in public schools. I went to Christian schools.

Hydra, I know this is the 40 somethings but from your pic I was surprised to hear you were old enough to have a granddaughter! Glad to hear you are feeling better.

Vjack, I hear you on the potato salad!. Hubby bought some for dinner last week and I loved it, and I made him buy two more containers. {There only about a lb each}

Sounds like everyone is doing well- I read along- but then say to myself I'll come back to post & never do- sorry!

Just got back from volunteering in my daughter's 4th grade class.

Eating has been pretty well OP, though took a day off on the weekend from logging food etc & while I didn't go overboard I think I overdid it- so I'll remember to keep track.

We're having beautiful Indian summer weather- into the low 90s today which is unheard of for Sept (heck we didn't get this warm all summer) so I'm off to enjoy the sun as much as possible. Have a great day all!

hyrdra, you've been doing a fantastic job for just being at it a month! We love the progress pics, and I'm sure yours will be fantastic!

CAT - glad to hear you're healing!

Marie - I'm with ya on the 4 day work week. My mgr has offered the option of 9 9's - that's pretty tempting. It's great that your family is on board with your food choices - and they SHOULD be proud of you!

Heidi - congrats on the jacket! I'm finding that the clothing purchases that I'm making are getting a little more form-fitting too.

Girl - welcome aboard, and hope everything mellows out for you going forward.

dmc - I empathize - there's something about the 2nd glass of wine that makes EVERYTHING look edible. I try very, very hard to stop at one glass.

patch - VERY cute outfits! What a thoughtful, creative hobby!

wlw - 4 miles will be back on your radar before you know it.

vjack - welcome aboard! I'm VERY jealous of your solitude this week!

OMW - what a schedule! Do you have a good division of driving labor for that, or carpools? I love my car, but sheesh - the miles!

joy - the class sounds fun! I can relate to dinner being a challenge - if we don't have it ready to go on Sunday night for the week, chaos (and bad choices) tends to get the upper hand.

jasmine - CONGRATS on the 10K! That's a fantastic time!

Marie (2nd note!) - Best wishes for a speedy recovery. We've been sent memos that make it very clear that (exaggerating somewhat) showing up sick to work will be grounds for lynching. Flu panic is beginning. (rolls eyes)

Mel - good to see you again! Aren't 4th graders a hoot? Heehee! Hey, I learned something this morning on my way in - that an Indian Summer can only be an Indian Summer if it follows the frost. Have you seen frost already up there? We've had just
a touch, not enough to kill bugs nor tomatoes.

This week is breaking me. I've spent the day in a seriously foul mood. If anybody's wondering about my avatar, here's the story of the Post Turtle - cribbed from a joke about Obama. Post Turtle: "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just kind of wonder what kind of dumb@$$ put her up there to begin with." Yeah, that's me at the moment.

The comfort is always in the long-term view. Am I gonna look back 5 years from now and even remember this week? Nah.

Back to maintaining at the moment. Just BREATHE, dang it!

dmc - so good to see that scale go down!

gardenjoy - thanks so much for the cookie link, that site is great!

jasmine - Wow! a 10K! Impressive!

marie - so to hear that you are feeling under the weather too. I felt better yesterday and I hope you feel lots better today.

penguin - I hope the Bible study group goes smoothly for you. I am sure you will do fine.

icu - I hope your mood improves and you have a good day today.

I was off today and the main thing I did was to take time and rest. I am feeling better and I think I must have had some sort of virus for a couple of days. I will be on call this weekend, so I will be around the apartment a lot and I plan to work on one of my hobbies.....jewelry making is something I enjoy and have done for most of my life. I plan to make some earrings and perhaps a long necklace for work. I hope everyone had a good Thursday! Friday is almost here!!!

Hydra, Thanks for the encouragment! I make the occasional pair of earrings! I do bent wire with beads. {LOL, I know I don't have the usual hobbies for a vision impaired person; I never said it was easy!} I haven't made anything in a while but my new improved vision has me thinking! What kind of jewelry do you make? I hope you are feeling better this morning.

Mel, Enjoy that sun, its still raining here!

Patch - What a great thing to do for those with a preemie.

vjack - You are doing great. I don't know if on day two I would have been able to avoid going overboard at a luncheon.

dmc - we are here 24/7 stop by when you can.

Marie - sure hope you feel better. Most employers here have also sent out notice that if you come in sick you will be sent home.

Mel - enjoy the warm temps; before you know it you'll be knee deep in snow. I have a friend in Alaska and they just got their first snow of the year.

ICU - Me too on maintaining.... I guess it's better than gaining. My choices have not been horrible since my beer & pizza out at the pool but I have been over on my calories and not working out. I hope to get back on the treadmill tomorrow. I tried yesterday but after only five minutes my knee started to hurt just a little.

Hydra - Please do share what you make, would love to see pictures.

Patch - I so wish I had your patience to sit and make something. I have all the time in the world but my adult onset ADD keeps me bouncing from one thing to another.

jasmine: congrats on the 10k, great job!
hydra: I do beading but haven't worked on anything in a long time...have pieces for a number of projects waiting to be put together. I do collages and photography as well...we seem to be a crafty bunch!
marie: hope you feel better soon, we have two bugs going around at work and I'm hoping to avoid them. loved your spaghetti legs and arms image!
penguin: good luck with the bible study, sounds like you're being stretched : ) I have a friend who likes to say God doesn't need our ability, but our availability. I bet you do great!
icu: wow, sounds like you're having a rough time! hope things improve. I like your outlook about the long term view.

I have another pt appointment today, a friend is taking me in exchange for lunch, no clue where we're going so we'll see how well I stay on plan. Still waiting impatiently for my scales to arrive, the bathroom scale is supposed to get here on the 26th. The only thing I don't like about amazon is the shipping takes forever. Working on getting another room cleaned out on my "weekend", I'll have the whole house cleaned and organized in time for my lease to end on the 30th! Looking at new places but haven't made a decision about moving.

For those of you working a normal schedule, the week is almost over! Hope it's been a good one : )

jasmine: congrats on the 10K! That's quite an accomplishment.

Marie: I hope you're feeling better!

patchworkpenguin: how was the Bible Study?

ICUwishing: hope someone rescues your turtle from the post soon. I like the long term view as a coping mechanism.

Hydra: hope you are continuing to recovery -- a weekend of jewelery making sounds perfect!

weightlosswanted: hope your PT appointment goes well and that your lunch is both fun and healthy!

We got our early dinner fixed and eaten last night and I felt ridiculously proud that we didn't give in and go for fast food instead. Our homemade bean enchiladas are both healthier and tastier than fast food!

Tonight's challenge is a potluck supper. I'm bringing a big salad so I know that there will be one healthy thing to eat.

Well no one got up and left the group so I guess I did all right, and we had a few more than I thought we would! I kept rushing because I thought we were behind and then we finished early! We're studing about Noah and the ark and its a running joke because its been raining so much here, but not as bad as either Chatanooga or Atlanta.

Marie, I didn't realize that Amazon had free shipping but then I haven't ordered anything in at least a year.

WLW, I like your friend's saying. I've always been very introverted, and have never lead anything before last year when I became a co-leader. I laughed in the ear of the poor woman who called me to ask me to become a leader because it was something I had never considered! But its not so bad once you get over the first terror of speaking before others. I was a nervous wreck last year but am much calmer this year, and I'm sure that makes the 'girls' calmer also.

Cat, You should have seen me yesterday when my spool of ribbom kept falling off the table and rolling across the floor, I wasn't very paitence then. Poor April kept coming in to check to make sure I was okay! {I wasn't!} You could try step one, then go onto something else, then back for step two etc. I have days that I call 'putter days' when I keep going from one thing to another. As in "i just puttering around today, I didn't finish anything".