Amazing about yard work. It's really a work out. Espeically with a push mower. Flower planting is worth it. Just beautiful. I need to get some bird seeds for the bird feeder. I have also been wanting to get a squirrel feeder. Got a squirrel that likes to stick around the yard so I name him Sam. So cute.

I weigh in Friday's and it is just around the corner. Can't wait. Hopping I lost those two pounds. Then I can say I lost 10lb reward myself and start on my next 10lb.

Starting weight 257 sitting at 249, future weekend weight 247, Goal weight 137

How are all of you energetic women? I'm feeling great! I got my new walkman tonight and walk/jogged 2.75 miles. I would have gone longer but it was getting dark. I drank 11 glasses of water and stayed below 1500 calories! I met all my goals today! Hope you all were successful!

Laura

Well, I got off to a great start again today. Yesterday, I walked (4.0 mph) on the treadmill for an hour and did 4 miles--never have gone that long before and I do elevate the treadmill some thru out the walking. Did great with the counting calories, and then my mother in law and her sister and niece all came over (MIL is leaving this weekend for home, Arizona) so last night wasn't too good with eating. I did eat a few desserts, but I wouldn't let myself feel too guilty. Hubby gave me a few eyebrow raises though, but I just ignored him.

I did a 20 min. light, weight lifting tape, walked for 35 minutes plus mowed the grass today, so I really don't feel guilty about what I ate last night. I just hope I don't repeat the same thing again tonight.

It's a beautiful day out today and I can't wait until the weather stays warmer.

I hope everyone is having a good day. Stay positive and "talk" with you all later.

Lost two more pounds. It's Friday and I weigh my self in. So in a whole, since I started. I lost 10LB.
WOO HOO!!!!!!

Dee dee dee da da.. dee dee da da....

Rewarding myself "onex bracelet"

Time to lose another 10LB Wish me luck!



257/247/137

...what an eyeopener!

London is a GREAT place - I just wish I had more time to spend there (but that's what happens when you go somewhere on business - priorities...)

I've mentioned the comparison of portion sizes between the US and the rest of the world before, but now I've lived it - even though the food as a rule was much higher in fat and calories, the portions were SIGNIFICANTLY smaller - for instance, their scones were about 1/4 to 1/3 the size of a US scone. Same with the croissants. And I didn't see too many people (other than tourists) eating 'on the run' - i.e. snacking.

Yesterday morning (we flew out at 4:00 pm London time) my boss and I splurged and had a real English breakfast - THAT is their big meal of the day - eggs, pastries, lots of tea, fruit, porridge, etc. After breakfast we walked around Mayfair and did a bit of shopping, saw the Changing of the Guard, and of course hit Harrods'! We were so full from breakfast, we didn't eat again until we were served lunch on the plane!

Even though we walked around a lot (London is quite definitely a 'walking town' - unlike much of California) I'm apprehensive about getting on the scale...but today is a new day - I worked out hard this morning and it's back to calorie counting and drinking all my water like a good girl...

Feisty good for you on your weight loss....10 lbs is a great successs!! and you deserve your bracelet...

I'm happy to report I was also down 3 lbs....YESSSSS ....I was carefull all week....and ate less than 1500 cals/day...exercised almost everyday... drank all my water every day also...patting myself on the back here....and guess what girls? I feel GRREAAAATTT!!

Lucky for you to travel to London Mrs. Jim... How was the weather? Foggy?? .....I've never been overseas, but even in the "Belle Province" of Quebec just 20 mins away from the border here, they serve proportionately smaller portions...(did that make sense?)... when you go to a French restaurant it is much smaller than what we in Ontario serve.... If you've ever been to Montreal or Quebec City, the women are verrrrrryy svelte, and very fashionable, it's fun to sit in a café and just watch people go by...


LisaSue, do you always exercise so hard? Good for you girl...

Anyways I have to go....

Take care and lets all have an OP weekend!!

Lana..........

I would definitely want to go back - except next time, I want Jim to come along.

Most of my time in London was spent running a meeting, but I did get some time to get out and see just a few of the sights, as well as make some general observations on the way Londoners eat compared to us Americans:

* While there were street vendors selling sausages, ice cream, etc. in evidence - especially around the parks - they weren't exactly crowded. The few people I noticed that did purchase snacks didn't walk and eat simultaneously - rather, they would find a place to sit down (such as a park bench) and enjoy their snack. When I went to the nearby Starbucks to buy a skinny chai, I couldn't help but notice that, out of the 20 or more customers in the store at the time, I was the only one who took their cup to go - most drank their coffee or tea while leisurely seated in the cafe.

* Even with the Brits' well-known passion for sweets, it was pretty noticable that the serving sizes were smaller. Not that I took a survey, but I didn't see a Super Size candy bar anywhere. The "large-size" eating bars were around the same size as, say, a regular Snickers. At Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly (you've GOTTA go there!) there were huge candy bars for sale - but definitely meant for sharing or cooking purposes.

* I was struck by how litter-free the streets we walked on were! In America you really become accustomed to seeing trash (frequently fast-food wrappers, Super Big Gulp cups, and so on) littering the sides of our streets and freeways. Despite the very high amount of foot traffic, the streets in Mayfair were almost devoid of garbage!

I am by no means putting down the US - I wouldn't live anywhere else! But...I think we can really learn a few things from other countries, just as they can learn from us...

I am a fellow calorie counter. If it has been in a book, on an infomercial, in a mail brochure, anywhere, I've tried it. But, nothing has ever worked like simply watching my food intake. I really did not think that I ate all that much food, until I sat down with a calore guide. WOW! I may not have had a lot of quantity, but I certainly had the calories.
I began on February 5 with a new way of eating and a new attitude. For the first time in my life, I was finally ready to commit to changing the way I thought about food. Since that day, I have lost 35 pounds. I still have 30 to go, but I have no doubt that I will make it this time and I think that is half the battle! It's really amazing what giving up 4 large cokes a day will do for you. Not only is the weight coming off, but, my hair is healthier, my nails are strong, my skin is clear, and I sleep a whole lot better.
I keep a calorie journal on my computer every day and that really helps to keep me realistic about what my intake is.
Good luck to all of us,
Ramona

Weekend greetings!
I can't ever seem to keep up on the weekends. It's the only time I have the car and I take off! It doesn't matter where as long as I'm out of the house!

Congratulations Fiesty Filly and Lanaii1 on your weight loss. I bet seeing those numbers disappear off the scale was positively thrilling! I can't "weight" to see my first 10 lb loss. Way to go both of you.

Mrs. Jim-- I haven't been to London myself, but my parents took a 10 day trip when my dad was working over there. It was cold and rainy the whole time. My mom is not very athletic and said all the walking just about killed her! There was so much to see and do that they were constantly running. I don't think 10 days was enough to cram in all they did! I hope to do some traveling some day too. Will have to wait for my kids to grow up or win the lottery(which is hard to do when you don't ever play!).

Ramona- I also have 30 lbs to lose, actually 25 now. We can push each other toward that ultimate goal! Good luck to you1

I've done pretty good this weekend. I've managed to keep my days below 1500 calories. Needs to be less, but weekends are sooo hard! Walked 3.5 miles today so feel pretty good. I weigh myself tomorrow so I'm hoping but not expecting any loss. I'll let you know tomorrow!

Laura

Food wise, the weekend has not been good at all....but tomorrow is Monday, and back to the routine....
Thank goodness for routines sometimes.....

Thank you Laura for the encouraging words.....I too have about 30 lbs to loose and it's a constant struggle.....darn it all!!

Anyways I will keep this nice and short, and talk to you all tomorrow...

Lana........

Hi, I am have decided to give this cal counting thing a try. I have tried just about everything and I can't seem to stick to it. I figured that at least with cal counting I can eat what I want as long as it is not to high in fat or calories. I enjoyed reading all your posts and you all have been very successfull it gives me hope

Hey ladies!
I haven't posted in a couple days. I lost another pound yesterday, but then ate all day long so it probably didn't last long! I got a grip today. We ate out for lunch and dinner (I was so lucky today!) but I made very good choices and didn't snack much. I really don't know what my calories were but I feel good about what I ate so it can't be too bad. Yesterday I did about 20 minutes of arm/shoulder exercises and that's it! Today I did a walking routine from Shape magazine. 5 minute warm-up. Speed walk 8 minutes, then do 5 sets of the following, run 2 minutes, walk one. End with an 8 minute speed walk and 5 minute cool down. I also added 20 lunges and 100 crunches. Feel great!

Hi Hockeychic! Try keeping a food journal. It can be a pain but it's sobering to see all that goes into your mouth at the end of the day. It can also help you figure out what time of day you are eating the most or when you need the most help. Good Luck!

Laura

I have been sticking faithfully to a 1200 calorie a day eating plan. I started counting calories 6 days ago and have not lost a single ounce as of today.Two weeks prior to doing the 1200 calorie plan I tried the atkins diet and managed to stick faithfully to that for 9 days, again did not lose a single pound. Does anybody think that the atkins diet could've messed up my metabolism? Do you think that I should reduce my calories by 100. I am getting very discouraged and dont know what to do. I have started a walking program recently as well.Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

geerp-Do not go below 1200 calories! It is not safe at all. You may be eating too few calories (how many were you consuming before the diet?) or maybe eating the wrong kinds of calories. Adding exercise to your program is a good idea. Another thing is to drink lots of water if you're not already. Don't despair! Could be you've lost inches but are gaining muscle. This is not an overnight program like the Atkin's Diet. I'm glad you quit that one, you were depriving your body of nutrients it truly needed. It depletes your energy making it hard to exercise. Keep going! It won't be long before you begin noticing a difference. Remember, H2O is the way to go! H2O is the way to go!

Laura

Hello everyone, I too have found that counting calories is the only way for me to diet. I must have joined Weight Watchers 1,000 times during the last 25 years and I can never get it to work. About 15 years ago I began counting cals and I was very successful. But lately I've gotten lazy and just put anything I want into my mouth without counting. Well, surprise--I now have 50 lbs to lose again! It has finally sunk in that this can't be a diet you go on and off--it has to be a way of life forever.

I have enjoyed reading your posts and I know someone asked how to count calories on homemade meals. I found a computer program named Master Cook. You input the ingredients for your recipe and how many servings and it gives you a complete calorie nutrient breakdown. It's great! If you can't find it in stores I know that they have a web site in which you can order. The version I got came with recipes from the Cooking Light Magazine.

Another question that was asked was how do I know how many calories I should eat? Well I did a search and came up with a great website: www.wvda.org I input my info and I think it comes close to what my calories should be per day.

Reading your posts has encouraged me to begin once again so here I am with 50 lbs to lose and today is my first day. Good luck to all of you too.

Monica