Jane - how did the dinner party go? I would have a hard time cooking all that stuff and not eating it, though I would be fine with mashed potatoes, since I'm not low-carbing it.

I love to cook, but most people aren't vegetarian, and I have some friends who just will not try something that does not have meat in it. My usual holiday dinner party meal is the most delicious, most labor intensive lasagne. It is a roasted eggplant, hazelnut parsley pesto lasagne, made with a bechamel sauce, homemade hazelnut parlsey pesto, and roasted eggplants. So labor intensive, between the pesto-making, roasting the eggplant slices, making the bechamel, boiling the noodles, and assembling the whole thing. But really spectacular enough that even carnivores are like: this is the most awesome thing ever. I dread thinking about how many calories are in it, though. So I'm not sure whether I will reprise that or make a lower-calorie vegetarian lasagne. I still have 1+ week to think about it.

Rosebud - it turned cold here last night, and there was a drop or two of snow when I went to the car. Mostly it has been raining for days, though, enough that there are some flood warnings in certain places. I hope you have time to get everything done before you leave!

pear - oh my goodness, chica. I know exactly how you feel. Let me TELL you. I have had that happen a lot. SO MUCH. Most people gain weight during TOM. I gain weight BEFORE TOM, at some point in my cycle, then lose rapidly during.

Here are SOME of my stories of unexpected weight gain:

1. I was about 345 when I went on vacation to northern Europe in May 2011. It was a cruise, and while I had a drink or a beer whenever I wanted, (especially when we were stopped in various cities), and dessert, et cetera, we were walking so much that I was confident I had not gained weight. When I got back from the trip I stepped on the scale and weighed OVER 360 lbs. It was like starting over. 4-5 days later I stepped on the scale again, and was now 340. The long, international flight and made me retain so much water. I actually lost some weight, but thought I had gained 15 lbs.

2. May 2012: Peru! I was 320 lbs when I left. Again, I was not 'dieting'. I had drinks if I wanted them, appetizer/dessert if I wanted them, but I didn't eat, for example, the DONUTS folks bought in the Lima airport when we were on our way to Puerto Maldonado. Also I had a stomach virus that kept me basically from eating for two days. But, recalling my previous experience after international flights, I waited a couple of days before stepping on the scale to give the retained water time to flush out.

I was 329 lbs. +9 lbs! After climbing all over Machu Picchu and doing a 2.5 mile hike on Taquile Island after not eating anything for 36 hours at 13,500 ft.

Well, another 3-4 days later, I was 315 lbs. I had lost probably 5 lbs in Peru, masked by the water weight from the flight, or the different time of day, or the fact that my scale missed me.

3. I am doing everything right, in the lower 290s. This is maybe in August of this year. Feeling good about my food, hoping to see a new decade soon. Overnight the scale says 299 again. FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. I was like: whoa! A couple of weeks later, I finally see 289 lbs. That 299 was a fluke, water weight, something else.

4. 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, I hit 267 lbs, but after that my weight bounces up higher, to 270ish. I teeter there, coming down slowly, and am 268 lbs the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, missing my Thanksgiving goal of 265. Thanksgiving: travel, family, food, dessert. I mean, I am not eating the way I did before, but I have dessert with every meal, beer or wine when I feel like it, and my share of chex mix.

I am READY to face the damage when I get home and force myself to step on the scale on Sunday. I am 272 lbs, +4 lbs. honestly? that seems like too much weight gain, but I face it. Monday: 270 lbs. -2 lbs! Clearly, some portion of that gain was wholly transitory. After that I start wooshing rapidly all week (it is TOM, heh, when I lose quickly), and by the end of the week I was 263 lbs.

The important thing is that you assess your habits and acknowledge them. If you were on plan, or even mostly on plan, that seems like a cyclic gain of some sort. Or a weighing error, or a clothes thing. It is disheartening, but you have to remember that if you are doing everything right, your body will catch up with the rest of you.

PEAR ~ many, many times in fact -- it's all a part of the process of weight-loss. Usually, it's water gain caused by one of many things, as MEM explained i.e. sodium, TOM, exercise, etc. Hang in there, that could disappear in a couple of days ...

MEM ~ great explanation -- boy, what a good memory you have to recall all that. I remember the worst one for me was 12 lbs, and yep -- it was all water-weight and came back off over a week's time. I hold water very easily. Have to watch the salt; hormones can cause it; and exercise too. Just putting my legs up for a while can help me drain off some water lbs too!

Had a good day; made some muffins for our trip to see the surgeon on Thursday/Friday. Will also make some Black Forest Ham & Chz sandwiches; and pack an apple & nuts for me too (hmmm, maybe take some cut-up veggies too, I think).

We had colder temps, but lovely all day long. Is supposed to warm up a bit over the next few days; that will be great for our trip too! Have a wonderful Wednesday ladies ...

Thanks mnem and justwant. It could be water weight to some extent. I also admit I went over in points on two days. I thought since it was nowhere near what I ate pre WW i would not gain. I struggled.

I am almost done my Christmas shopping.

Off to bed.

I am not a hot tea drinker but receive a nice gift basket of tea. Im just unsure how to drink it. I was given a tin of tea bags and then lots of jars of cinnamon powder. Do you put cinnamon in hot tea?? I have never drank tea except when I was a small child with my grandmother. She always just sweetened hers with sugar and a squeese of lemon.

It is so cold here today (after being warm and RAINY for days) that my carlock was frozen and I couldn't get my key in this morning. So I had to open it from the passenger's side and reach all the way over. Strange morning: hard frost and this hoary white mist hanging around, from all the dampness in the air and the warm river wallowing in its course beneath the sudden cold. Okay: it is not Canadian cold, I will grant. :P Talking about the cold in a thread with Canadians seems silly.

Rosebud - heh. I have an insane memory for many things. But then I cannot remember people's names to save my life. I'm glad that you saw the sun today! It has been ages since we've seen it here. Weight loss means that I now fit into my wellies so I used them to squish about the yard last night, taking out the trash and taking boxes of Christmas decorations back into the garden shed, where they usually live.

You are planning like I plan for trips! I usually make tuna salad and take some flatbread. Apples and string cheese and cut-up veggies. I will be thinking of you!

My dad had his second cataract surgery this morning. Mom called me to tell me it was done and went well and he was in recovery before I even left the house for work. Hah. I was running a bit late.

Pear - you know, struggling is part of it, I think. The hardest part is facing the weigh-in, regardless of whether it is water weight, hormones, or some combination of an actual gain + additional hormones, and getting back into it and trusting yourself. That's where the real victories come in, in my opinion. My guess is that you did NOT consume 11,200 extra calories over the course of last week and so part of that will slip away, and you will work the rest off.

dgramie - hmmm. That is odd! Lots of jars of cinnamon? Is it powdered? Or cinnamon sticks Could there be some nutmeg? I do drink tea and do NOT put powdered cinnamon in it, but might use a cinnamon stick to swirl my milk in. Sometimes I will sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top of coffee (if I have taken the time to froth milk), but not usually. I do not sweeten tea unless it is a spiced type of tea. I prefer MOST teas unsweetened with a spot of milk (not cream and not coffee creamer). Spiced teas, (i.e. Chai-spiced teas), I like with a bit of splenda and some milk or cream. And I will usually have left over tea (of nearly any sort) the next day as an iced tea.

Oh! My mom bought me some Lancome moisturizer for a Christmas present a few weeks ago (I am concerned about new wrinkles as I keep losing weight!), and we entered a raffle they were having. Well, I had a message last night that I won: $300 worth of Lancome products, apparently. I will go pick it up tonight.

mnemosyne It went well. I nibbled on some "on diet" things when I was cooking, so I didn't really eat much at the table. I did partake in the dessert though. I behaved myself at the staff party last night completely too, so overall I'm proud of myself.

I'm getting just lambasted with nasty complaints at work today! I work at a shopping center, and this year we moved our "pictures with Santa" from a location in the center of the mall into a vacant unit so that we weren't crowding anything and so that the lighting for the photos was better. (which were all nasty complaints from last year). It's amazing what people think is acceptable to say to someone in a public position.

JANE ~ ya, and that is stressful for you too; hope you can let them roll off your back like water off a duck's back ...

MEM ~ we had the even more today; very blessed with that.
It was a bit nippy out there at -13 C or about 19 F. Can't stay out too long or your fingies and toes start to freeze; and I was wearing my warmest mittens too. I hope it warms up for tomorrow like they forecasted. Think I'll take two pairs tomorrow.

I tried to get some extra exercise by shovelling off the small front porch but that's all I did, and the snow was very light. DH did the rest. I made our lunch for our trip tomorrow. Hope I don't forget anything. I also did some laundry. One of our friends is gonna come and stay at our house to babysit our furrybaby (and the house too) so he won't be too upset while we are gone. This is the first time we have ever left him overnight, but he does know her, so he should be OK.

Packed my overnight duffel bag, so that's ready too. Will have to get to bed early to make sure I am ready in the morning. It's a long trip so we're taking some cushions and a blankie for me. Will be gone til Friday night, so will catch up then ...

Hi everyone.

It was sunny here today too. I went to deep water Fitness today. I also went for dinner with my sis. We had Persian food. It was yummy. I had salad instead if rice with chicken.

Tomorrow I have an appointment to try new wigs. Then making a bean salad for my pot luck tomorrow night.

Two random questions:
1. Does anyone (or has anyone ever) gone to Overeaters Anonymous meetings? Experiences? Thoughts?
2. I always worry what dating will be like when I lose weight. I know that seems ridiculous because right now, men get what they see... but once I lose weight... there will be a lot of extra skin... and how do you tell someone that, and at what point?!

Jane - good job surviving the dinner party, and I'm sorry about the complaints you are getting about pictures with Santa. That's a shame. I think any position where you work with the public can be difficult, especially if you are front-line enough where you have to take complaints and comments.

Rosebud - here's to a good trip, and hopefully a good report regarding your surgeon when you get back home! Is your furbaby a dog or a cat? (or something more exotic! I read about the monkey in the Ikea parking lot in Toronto.) My cats are fine with or without me. My folks have a dog, though, who needs more care. We're lucky that she has a friend with five (FIVE) poodles who is willing to take him in when they travel. I often housesit for him when they are gone on weekends, but cannot bring him to my house since the cats would not like it.

Pear - your dinner sounds great. I don't think I've ever had Persian food, but I do love trying different cuisines. What sort of bean salad will you make? I make alot of them in the summer. I have a pot luck next week and am just doing veggies. I have some styrofoam forms and will make a "tree" out of broccoli and cauliflower.

Picked up my prize from the department store beauty counter: I received a couple of eye pencils, a bunch of fragrance samples, various creams and unguents (mostly sample size), and a couple of full-size fragrances - one for men and one for women. I also did a bit of shopping - picked up a present for a friend and a necklace for me that was $6 after being 40% off and applying my $10 off a purchase of $10 or more coupon. Also tried on a pair of boots, not ankle boots, boots that came partly up the calf. THEY FIT. THEY ZIPPED, and not in a "this is uncomfortable way" (and they were 60% off!) They were brown leather with multicolor wool. Unfortunately, they were too big - size 9 - and I couldn't walk in them without my foot slipping out. Looked them up online and they are out of stock. The store only had them in size 9 and size 10.

There is another one of the department stores out by my folks' house and I will go check it out just in case.

ChunkyDunk - I have not gone to OA, so I cannot give you any advice. But if you think it might help, why not attend a meeting? At most you lose an hour. As for your other question, heh. I have been thinking about that, too, and I don't really have an answer, either. In fact, I'm a step back, I've been considering again and again joining an online dating site and just have not done it yet.

awww- the boots that fit reminds me of another thing to add to my list! I love boots but i dont wear any because the wide calf ones are too pricey for me!!

Mnmem Nice boots. I hope you find them in your size.
I made a white bean salad with celery, green onions, dill and a lemon pepper vinaigrette.

I met my DH through a singles group. It was online dating.

Hi All.
Been ill with the chest again...on steroids for the first time in a year....grrrrr.
Haven't been able to get out and walk so feeling rather off track.
On the upside we survived smallest child getting norovirus without anybody else getting it!
Have managed to secure a placement in a High School helping year 7's with literacy....it's voluntary but great experience and hopefully a bit easier on my chest than the primary school environment with all its bugs.
I am so sorry to hear of the awful tragedy that has occurred in Conneticut. When I look in the little face of my 7 year old....well...I can't imagine the grief.
Take care all.
God Bless
Donna

Heh, I have a pair of wide calf boots still in the box under one of my beds. They go up to the knee, but I still cannot get them zipped all the way. I bought them years ago when they were on sale and I had a 50% off coupon. But that is b/c of the top part of my calf.

It's sort of amazing to me how much weight I have lost in my ankles, wrists and hands. I was trying on rings this weekend and I have lost 1 ring size (really 1.5 ring sizes, total), but could squeeze on a size 7 ring. I've worn a 9 for the past few years, but used to wear a 9.5.

pluckypear - your salad sounds lovely. I might try something like that soon. I think I am going to make a big batch of black beans this weekend, then make soup with 1/2 of it and maybe black beans and rice with the other 1/2.

Did you like online dating? I am nervous about it, not just because I fear rejection on some level, but because I am not good at rejection myself. Ugh. I should just jump in, but it makes me uncomfortable on some level.

mountainwalker - so sorry you've been sick, and steroids, ick. I'm sorry. I know how you feel about walking, but there are times when you have to pull back and take care of yourself. That's part of staying on track, too.

Glad you got a better gig. That sort of volunteer work can be really helpful in getting a paying position.

And yes. I cannot even begin to think about the tragedy in Connecticut. It makes me so physically ill. I cannot begin to imagine what so many people are going through right now.

Mountainwalker I hope you feel better soon.

Mnem It took some time to get into the groove with online dating. I tried many sites ranging from free ones like plenty of fish to pricey ones. From my experience you get what you pay for. I suggest a paid site like Eharmony. Much easier to screen and waste less time. Also I found more men who were unemployed on the free sites. I think a willingness for them or anyone to pay takes more effort. Be sure of what you want and do not want. What are your deal breakers and do not bend. I just find better to weed out then get involved and harder to break off.
Meet in public places. Be honest but only reveal what anyone would be expected to early on. Keep the first date short. Let them pay. Go with your instincts. If they act at all rudely, strange or were even a tad dishonest don't see them again.
Lol so much info. Just sharing what I learned.
I had odd dates mainly from the free sites, bad dates, good dates but went nowhere etc.
Yes dating does include the risk of rejection. But so worth it. And really if either person chooses to not go on a second date it is not rejection. I see it as trying someone on. Are they the right fit? If not does not mean they are garbage just not right for you or you are just not right for them.