Hello everyone! I haven't been on the site in a long time! I've missed it sooooooo much. ANd I've gained back 16lbs. So I hope I'm not too late to join this thread. I have about 45 - 50 lbs to lose so I think I fit in. Plus I liked all that I have read hear.

I'm 41 and going thru a divorce. I've tried to make it as amicable as possible. Unfortunately he's not doing his share of trying to be amicable. And I am a confirmed emotional/stress eater. So now I have gained back most of the weight I'd worked so hard to lose last year.

I have alot of food alergies and intolerances and of course, all to things I like. I also have a sever case of PCOD/S so that doesn't help either. But it seems I've somehow been able to talk myself into stepping forward and taking action to get back on the bandwagon to get back into healthy shape.

I have a horse, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 fish. I'm a horsetrainer by trade but have a boring old office job for now. The ex put me into a bit of a financial bind which doesn't allow me to do my chosen proffession for now. I like to do all sorts of things and have even decided that I am going to buy a home gym to save money on a gym membership. (which i never use!) So if I am in time to join here, I'd love to post here with the rest of you gals!

Hi Hot, it's always nice to hear another voice. These wonderful woman welcomed me in a few months ago and it's the best spot I've ever found support with. We admit when we're naughty and are excited when things go good. I'm very sorry to hear about your divorce. That has to be mighty hard. I just can't imagine how much I'd eat if I were going through something so devastating. I too am an animal lover. I have 3 dogs and 2 cats - the cats are really my son's but since I buy their stuff, I consider them part of the family. But it's my dogs that I love the most. I'm a husky mommy. I have an Alaskan Husky and a Siberian Husky. The third dog is a Golden Retriever. I just adore animals. My Alaskan was put on a diet this past weekend by the vet and she needs to lose 10 pounds. I told her we'd work on it together and I'd set a goal of 20 pounds while she lost 10.

TOF, I understand about no energy days. Don't you wish you could find a reason to feel so lousy. And there isn't one - it just is. So you feel guilty about it. I'm really proud of how you stayed within your calories yesterday. That is quite an accomplishment. Your new habits are truly becoming habits. I like what you said about not being the all or nothing dieter. That's a good thing to remember.

That's it for today. I have to exercise and I'm getting sleepy. Hopefully the gazelle will wake me up.
Marie

Just popping in to say ?"hi". Things here are going well. I did 40 minutes on the elliptical last night, drank all my water and was on point. I didn't get up, AGAIN, this morning to exercise. I really need to get back in the habit of morning exercise. It gets me moving and going. So, my goal for the rest of this week is to get in bed before 10:00 every night. Hold me to it, ladies!

Thanks for your concern for my daughter. She constantly battles ingrown toenails. She had one removed about a month ago and it's the same toe! Doc gave her two scrips and told her to soak her head, er I mean FOOT, three times a day in epson salts. He's trying to avoid more surgery. It causes her some pain so she's grateful for the meds.

Hotsplashes-welcome, welcome, welcome! So glad you're here. This is the place for encouragement, accountability, friendship and fun. Keep us updated on how things are going for you. What kind of home gym are you going to buy? I'm sorry to hear about your divorce. Stinks, don't it? I went through a divorce 10 years ago. It's hard. Do you have any children or are your pets your children? Feel free to vent here about whatever you need to vent about. It doesn't have to be food stuff. Just read the old posts and you'll see that! I understand about the job sitch. Hang in there. Ck in often. We have two dogs. I love cats but have allergies. I puff up like a blow-fish! We're hoping to get an inside dog soon; a daschund. Yeah.

Marie-I like the idea of rewarding yourself w/something. I generally try to do that as well. Sometimes it's food, sometimes it's a new book or something. But it does help me stay on track w/being good. I'm definitely interested in the bread machine. How generous of you to offer. I'll let you know for certain when it's closer to time for your new one. Just let me know about shipping. I love husky dogs. When I was married to my DD's dad, his parents had an alaskan husky named Brandy. She was the sweetest thing. Used to let my daughter crawl over her; ride her like a horse and take naps on top of her. Very good natured dog.

TOF-Congrats for not blowing it or giving up yesterday! You did great. We all have those days when we just can't do anything more. I really have to be careful w/myself and I've learned how to say no or I'd be like that a lot! So, good for you for staying on track and seeing the sitch for what it was. Way to go.

Talk to everyone soon. Take care.

Hi all. Good to hear from you. Welcome Hot, glad you're joining us. Had a great day - there was a breath of spring in the air and I loved it (even though there's still almost two feet of snow on the ground). I'm trying to find new recipes with lots of veggies - I haven't been including veggies enough in my diet. I had two good recipes today. Here they are if you're interested:

poached eggs with spinach and tomato on whole wheat english muffins. I simply cooked the eggs in hot water, toasted the muffins, microwaved the fresh spinach for three minutes and cut up the egg - it was a healthy eggs benedict.

veggie chili - bring to boil 1/2 cup bulghur, 1 c. tomato juice and 1/2 c. hot water, then simmer. Heat 3 tbs of olive oil add three cups onions and 3 sliced garlic w/1 heaping tsp of cumin, 1 heaping tsp of chili, 1/4 cayenne pepper, when the onions become translucent add 2 c. cut up pepper, after two or three minutes add 3 small cans of diced and/or stewed tomatoes, 2 c. frozen or can corn, 1.5 c (or so) of black beans and 1.5 c. of red beans. Heat on low until warm throughout, then add bulghur which should be kind of chewy - then heat a short while so flavors can mix. Serve w/grated cheese - serves 4-6, about 200 cals per serv. Really really sweet and yummy, healthy too.

Have a good day. I've got to help out the boys.

Hello everyone! Today was not a good day for eating. Work had a party for us and gave us all these huge cookies. I had 5. Not good at all. Then I got home and ate a enuff s'ghetti for two people. THen a bagel with PB!! Not good at all. I swear I have no willpower!

Hi MMarie! Thanks for the wonderful welcome! Marie is my favorite aunt's name! GLad to see another animal lover. My Dobie needs to go on a diet as well. I'm sure she could 10lbs gone as well. I already have her on a maintenance diet that the vet suggested and she's lost 8. She's not a 'fluffy' as she was last year...if you get my drift...she don't like the word fat!lol I think it's a great idea that you and the Alaskan are doing the team effort! RAHRAH!! Let us know how it's progressing!

Hay Skinnybutt! I love the name! I wish I could remember when I had a skinny butt! Your doctor has prescribed the right things for your daughter. Bad as this sounds, I do it for my horses who have abcesses in thier hooves and such. Epsom salts are a wondercure! I hope she sticks with it! The gym I am going to get is the 'Total Gym' the one that Chuck NOrris designed. The two best things about it: It uses your own bodyweight as restance and it folds away. ANd it helps that I think Ole Chuck is a cutie! And good luck on finding a weenie dog! I love them. Try for the mini weenies! Less back issues!

Hello TOF! I'm tired of Fat too! Congrats on the good eating today! Much better than I did! I love poached eggs. And I do them in water too. Do you put vinegar in the water? How hard to you cook them? Your diet sounds vegetarian. And very Healthy! GOod for you!! Keep up the great work!!! Good luck tomorrow!

Hi Hot, TOF and Skinny, I hope you gals are having a good day. I have had a great day. I solved a major problem at work and have gotten lots accomplished. Supposedly, the papers on our mortgage refinance are being drawn and we should sign them any time. We decided to go with the max amount and pay off my accummulated debts when I was manic. Skinny, it's so interesting, I think of you and your hubby as DH and I are resolving and improving our sitch. It's taken a long time to get to the point where I could accept the blame and not feel guilty. I know that it's the bipolar but that I'm still ultimately responsible. It feels good also to be the one that haas pushed the refinancing and improvements with DH. He's very pleased, to say the least.

Speaking of that, when we were talking about the money issues and weight issues, I said that I've never been able to control my eating at the same time as staying in control of money. Then I said that if push comes to shove, the eating good will go before the money does ever again. I think I need to promise him that if I feel I'm slipping that I'll give the reins over to him on the money since I never want to give up on the food. But, you guys, I don't know if I can do that. When I start to slip, I do it sneakily until the damage is done. I think he and I need to revisit this issue so we can resolve it before a manic episode arrives. As my dr. says, we have the illness under control with this combo of meds at the moment but you never know when the illness will change and I could be spun into a manic or depressive episode. So tonight, I will talk to him about him overseeing the money. I think that's the only solution. What do you think?

Hot, it was great to see you back today. Lots of times a person shows up for one post, and we always want more people. More people equals more support. Good luck on a better food day than the cookies and spaghetti. Tell your Dobie congrats on the weight loss. Blizzard, my Alaskan, is truly jealous since she's just at the beginning of her journey. My hope is to lose 20 pounds in the time she loses 10. I think that would be awesome.

TOF - don't you love that melting, warmed moist spring air that you can catch a whiff of once in a while in the winter. It's the most motivating, energizing feeling.. I adore spring. No I live for spring. I hate winter with a passion. Spring and summer are my favorite and fall is just a slow death into winter. But spring, wow. I saw some flowers (pansies - my favorites) for sale this morning. I thought it was a little early but seeing their pretty faces was fabulous.

Skinny, hope your daughter is doing okay. Having a child in pain is way worse than being in pain yourself. Way to go on the 40 minutes with the elliptical. That Gazelle thingie is sort of cool. I did notice that my right calf muscle gets sore every workout. Never the left, always the right and after 6 weeks, it's still not getting better. It never hurts after exercising, just during the workout. Have you had that problem?

That's it for now. Talk to you later tonight or tomorrow.
Marie

Hi all. Thanks for being here. It helps so much. Tonight I just wanted to dive into the trail mix, instead I had a little, got a seltzer and came down to be inspired by all of you and I was. Thanks a lot. Great news Marie. Good idea about making plans for the bad times while the good times are here. We've had some financial downturns in the past few years and I'd like to do the same as you, be prepared for the next time.
Hot, glad you're back! Parties are so tempting. I bring my seltzer along to help me out and sometimes I promise myself a healthy snack afterwards if I stay true to the healthy eating during the party. Never easy though.

Pretty good day today - busy, ate a little bit more than I'd like, but not too much. I've changed my eating now that I'm trying to eat all the food groups each day and have two snacks and three meals. That means at the end of the day I have less cals, but I'm definately less cranky then and less hungry. I've read that it's better to spread out your eating throughout the day, we'll see if this works better.

Thanks again for being here. I'll be back tomorrow. Hoping to get in a great workout early tomorrow morning. We'll see.

Hello Marie and ToF! Thanks for the support and for the encouragement to keep coming back!

Marie, ToF said a good thing...to be prepared for the bad times while the good times are still here. I'll always stand by my dad's motto, "It's always nice to have a cushion to land on when you fall on your butt." And I am very proud of you taking control of your situations and your illness. One of my best friends growing up was manic/depressive. Unfortunately, she refused to take control and take responsibility. It was a bad ending. YOu are so right when you say in the end you are responsible...because it's up to you wether you want to get well or not.Keepp up the awesome work...I know you'll win!!!

ToF Congrats on the little treat of trailmix as opposed to diving in and kudos on the workout! I hope you find that eating small meals throughout the day helps. I am supposed to be eating this way due to my blood sugar instability. It's a hard thing to get used to at first, but believe me....you'll find yourself enjoying it and you'll feel fuller faster. As for the seltzer...Is it flavored seltzer? I used to drink NY seltzer like crazy but you can't buy it here anymore. There's this sugar free sparkling flavored water i like to buy at Shoppers Drugmart...but it's hard to find sometimes. Wish the grocery stores would carry it. I would drink that more often than bottled water!

Keep up the great work ladies...I'll be doing a weighin on Friday!

Hi all. Hot, I buy Polar seltzers w/flavoring - very tasty and refreshing. I hope you're doing well. I had a very busy day and I'm really tired. Good start with an awesome workout on the eliptical - tired ending, but I stayed within my cal limit. I'm at a new low too which is exciting - watching the calories and exercising really does result in weight loss and it feels so, so good to be down almost 50 lbs. Hope everyone is doing well. Keep taking the time to visualize what you want to become - it really helps.

sw210 cw 170.8 gw 150

Hi TOF and Hot and Skinny, I hope you all are doing great. I took tomorrow off and so today is my Friday and boy I can tell. I'm in such a good mood. I don't have to go back to work for three days. Can't beat that. Also, I had my Friday goal reward today and enjoyed the DQ Blizzard tremendously. I do think that the girl thought I was on a diet (or needed to be) since the blizzard cup that is usually overfilled was filled about 3/4 of the way. I decided that I wouldn't say anything since she was just looking out for my health.

You all would be proud of me. I did what I said I would do - I showed my DH how to use the excel budget, the Quicken and the online banking. We went through everything and decided that we'd do it together from now on. Instead of me doing the bills on payday Friday, we'd do them on Thursday night together. I think it will be good. I told him signs to watch for when I'd get sneaky and he was sort of blown away by my blunt honesty. With the mortgage refinancing almost through, we're going to have a bit more money to spend and to pay extra on bills. It's sort of exciting for such a dull subject like budgeting.

We exercised yesterday to American Idol. It is the only TV I watch. I hope it improves soon with the open auditions finally being done. Today is a non-exercise day so I'm going to work on my knitting. All I have left of the sweater is one front facing, then to sew the facings and buttons on. Shouldn't take too long, but I'm a procrastinator. Since I'm off tomorrow, I'm going to make a sweater in one day. That's my whole goal but I can't start number 2 without finishing number 1. So tomorrow evening, I should have 2 new sweaters. Cool, huh?

Hot, my fingers are crossed for a good weigh in tomorrow. I know that I get a little anxious when it's weigh in day even if I've been an angel with food. You never know when the female hormones will hop onto you and add a couple pounds. Sometimes I think not weighing is the best choice, but I like to see progress since progress with changing clothes sizes is so slow.

TOF, thanks for the encouraging words. It was definitely a good conversation that we had yesterday. Now I know that during the bad times our finances are covered. That's a relief. Maybe during the bad times I'll resent it but it will be the best for me and my family. Kudos on the trailmix choice. You're doing great and are an inspiration.

Talk to you tomorrow. Have a great Friday.
Marie

TOF - Way to go on the weight loss!!! Lots of Congratulations.
Marie

Just wanted to ck in and let you guys know how things are going here. I've been on point all week, have exercised and met my water goals for this week. However, I only managed to get up one morning this week to exercise. I just can't seem to get in bed early enough to drag my heinie out of bed early enough to exercise. *sigh* I'll try to do it next week. I seem to do better if I do a little exercise in the morning as well as exercising in the evening. I am more focused. So, my goal is to get up every other day next week to exercise in the mornings.

Hot-we are actually looking for a mini daschund. My DH has had daschunds before and he said he wanted a mini b/c of the reasons you gave. How was your weigh in today? hoping it went well.

Marie-sounds like a great plan on your finances. That's how DH and I work ours as well. We do them together. It's good to make those kind of decisions during the good times. Sounds like your doing well w/exercise. Good for you.
How are the sweaters coming along?

TOF-You'll be eating the way I eat. I have breakfast, 10:00 a.m. snack, lunch, 2:00 p.m. snack, and dinner. If I have the points left, I sometimes eat something in the evening as well. It's always healthy snacks, though. I stock my desk drawer every week w/healthy snacks so I won't be tempted to eat things that are not good for me. I always do better when I eat like this. Let me know how it goes for you.

DH got some good leads on jobs this week. He's been out job hunting all week this week. He had to go back to the dr. today as he's still feeling tight in his chest from his brochitis. Dr. gave him a new inhaler and more cough syrup. He's still coughing his head off.

Have a great weekend, ladies. Keep up the good work. It feels so good to be healthy, doesn't it?

Hi all. Thank goodness you're hear. I'm so stretched and stressed today! Why - just to much to do and a tremendous need for a little quiet all alone time - it's been a busy week and there's a lot of family time this weekend which I love, but I need a little centering time too. I've got my workout clothes on and I hope I'll be able to fit in a tiring, get rid of the stress workout tonight while my dh swims with the kids in the pool - we'll see. Tomorrow I'm taking my middle son and a friend skiing for the day. I'm looking forward to it. It's a bit of a responsibility to take another child skiing but the mountain is not too big and I know it well so I think it will work out well.

Thanks for letting me get all that off my chest - otherwise I'd be eating everything in the kitchen!!! Marie, good for you!!!! It must feel great to share all that financial responsibility. Great job staying on track too. Skinny - great ideas for sticking to the 2 snacks, three meal schedule. I really crashed today at 4. I want to think more about satisfying foods - late in the day the foods that satisfy me are very different than the foods I crave during the day. At the end of the day I just want long lasting comfort food like my smoothies, crunchy veggies, trail mix, etc. Something to think about.

Have a great weekend everyone. I've packed healthy snacks for the ski trip - lots of fruits, veggies. Thanks for sticking with this post I would never be where I am diet wise without you.

Hi TOF, Hots, and Skinny, I hope todays has been a very successful health day. I have done pretty good - could have been better, but I'm allowing the extra calories consumed at lunch to be balanced by the fewer calories at dinner. As I type, I am wearing my purple sweater. I did it. At nine this morning it was done. I actually knitted a cardigan sweater. I was dancing in circles with it (really I was) because I was so excited. I thought that I'd never get to the stage that a pattern wouldn't frighten me because I was a beginner. So I did it, I made it. BTW, it looks very pretty, but then again it's purple, my favorite color. The other sweater is started, but won't be done today. I got the back finished and the front started. I'll probably finish the front this evening and make the sleeves tomorrow. Maybe by Sunday it will be done. It's a much easier sweater. No buttonholes or ribbing. It is cherry pink, by the way. Very pretty and girlish.

TOF, have a great time skiing. Your son's friend is in good hands - yours. I know this. Good job on packing the healthy snacks. Ski chalets tend to have high fat and high calorie foods. You'll do great. I hope the whole weekend gives you a good chance to relax and let the stress run from you.

Skinny, my fingers are crossed for your hubby. I hope those leads turn into job offers. I think that has to be so hard on both of you. I can't even imagine having that stress on a daily basis. You'll laugh, but today we got our tax return and I paid a bunch of bills, called DH at work and told him exactly how much I paid to everyone. Then I went shopping (for diet Pepsi - enuf to float a boat). When I came home, I handed all the receipts to him and said he could enter it into Quicken. It was slow and painful to watch, but he did it. I think he likes the open communication about the finances. Mostly I bet he's relieved. I admit I really liked just handing the receipts over. Oh, I did order my bread machine today and I should get it in a week or two. Then I'll send you yours. Sometime when you get a chance, PM your address and I'll get it packed up.

Well tonight is exercise night and I guess I have to start my Elton John DVD concert collection over. I've exercised with them all. That must mean I've exercised a bit, huh? Cool. Did I tell you gals how I exercise? We have a projector, big screen (12 feet wide), and surround sound. We put the concert up on the big screen and Elton is bigger than us. It's like a personal concert and makes the time fly by. I actually look forward to exercising because I like the concerts so much. Who would have ever guessed I would look forward to exercise.

Off to finish the front of the sweater. Tomorrow I'm going to start a new stained glass for my first born son. It'll be of a black and white wolf howling at the moon. I made a gray one but he wants black and white like our late husky that howled at the fire trucks. So basically it's going to be a black and white husky dog howling at the moon. I should be beautiful. But I miss that dog so much (it's been 3 years since her death) that I hope I don't cry too much when I make it. But Robert will love and treasure it. It's the only thing stained glass that he's asked for. So tomorrow I start.

Take care and have a healthy, fabulous weekend.
Marie

PS - we're signing the mortgage papers tomorrow. The process is almost done. YEAH!!!!!

WOW...Y'all have been busy busy ladies!! Knitting! Skiing! Family time! ALl sorts of fun things! I hope everyone is having fun. I've been working OT and am working a 12 hour shift Saturday. Then it's two days off ..so sorry this is such a short postie!

BUt here's the news""

TADAAAAAAAAAAA down 1lb!!! NOt alot but it is a pound!

See everyone Sunday!!!