Oh Catherine I am SO happy for you!!! This must be such a wonderful relief and what a wonderful birthday gift! Happy Birthday by the way! It's sad that you and your husband both have come from such awful families, but what a blessing that you found each other! Also, always keep in mind that you are part of OUR family here!

hello everyone i am late posting today... had a good dr. report i dont go back for 6 months now plus thie morning i was down to 278!

princesspuffypants: I remember when I first moved to Austin and I thought that was so cool, "Keep Austin Weird." Now that I know the meaning behind it, I love it even more. The purpose of the slogan is to encourage folks to support local businesses. One of the things that makes Austin so unique is that we have a lot of local businesses still going strong and it makes us, well, weird. I love this city and while I still want to see Europe and maybe live there someday, I will always have my heart in Austin, TX.

Lisa: I don't think you will get your brother back, either. I grew up in San Antonio and enjoyed it, a lot. I then went to Oregon and got exposed to the more natural side of life. From there, I moved here to Austin because I wanted to attend the LBJ Law School at UT. I've since changed my mind about law school, but I couldn't imagine ever permanently leaving Austin. If I win the lottery, I'll always have a house here to spend a good portion of the year.

Catherine: Congratulations and Happy Birthday! I'm sorry your families are so negative. It's hard to make it through life without a supportive family, I know. My husband and I both have families that suck. Fortunately, my mother is coming around in her old age. I just have to break every change in my life to her gradually, or she wigs and doesn't speak to me for awhile. Sometimes, I break it to her so slowly, I forget the change has occurred before I tell her that I'm going to do it.

EmilyMay: Congratulations on your inches lost! I look forward to those accomplishments.

DJCJRun: Congratulations on your weight lost. Isn't it good to lose something and be glad it's gone? I do have to say that teaching my children healthy eating habits is my main motivation right now. I've always wanted to weigh less, but with the kids here, it's so much more important to me. I would hate to have them grow up to be like me. That's what happened to me with my mom, she stayed thin forever because she was in the Army, but as soon as she was injured and relieved from doing PT (Physical Training), she gained about 40 pounds and suddenly it wasn't just me anymore. She made me go on every fad diet with her as a teen, which was terrible. Fortunatley, I've since figured out that healthy eating is the key so I won't torture my own kids.

I didn't have as good of a dinner last night as I had hoped. My husband and kids talked me into getting Taco Bell. I was pretty restrained in my eating, though. We usually get the Grande Meal with the Nachos BellGrande and the Mexican Pizza. My husband eats the MP and I eat the Nachos, then everyone gets two tacos (or whatever). Last night, I ate only a few nachos, but then I did eat two tacos, which was way too much food. I was actually getting pretty full after the few nachos.

Oh well, today's another day. I had a piece of chicken and a biscuit for breakfast. Felt a little overfull, but not too bad. I'm going strong on having the ziti for lunch today. I'm crackin' down on the fam, for us all to have more will power.

Andrea

Wow I am so proud of all you ladies... getting PR, losing weight, and looking and feeling better. Everyone, give yourselves a big pat on the back for me!!!!

I am also posting today cause I forgot to tell you about something I meant to... There is this chick at my work (the only other chick besides me in 40 ppl) who was the one who pushed me to even start on this journey, and I owe her alot. I make jewellery in my spare time, so for her birthday I wanted her to remember how she effected my life, so I cut my leather belt into a chunk of about 5inches, sanded it down, and in every belt notch (that I went down and never have to see again) I hammered in a snap stud button and made her a leather cuff bracelet. It actually turned out so cool I made one for myself too- I wear it every day as a reminder of the hard work I've done and I never want to need those belt holes again! She has worn it every day since I gave it to her!

Have a great Day today gals, talk to you all very soon

I will firstly apologise if my posts are still messy. I just can’t work out what the problem is. Other than not being able to format my posts, I have also realized that I don’t get the ads anymore. I haven’t paid for this, and I don’t know why they have stopped, but I don’t get pop-ups or ads at this site anymore. Heather, perhaps you have some idea what I can do to fix this.??? YES!! Thank you for passing my message on Heather. I followed some of Catherine's instructions and I can now fix my posts. YIPPEE!!!

Things haven’t been so great since I went back to work. I was actually REALLY looking forward to seeing the kids again, as they make me happy most of the time. Well, they have only made me sad these last couple of days. I’m not sure at all what the problem is, but I think it could be a mix of things. One problem is that they had a few relief (sub) teachers in the room while I was off and that made them a little unsettled I think. Another problem is that they didn’t have the structure that I provide/expect when I am with them, which means that they kinda got out of a few good habits while I was away. It hasn’t taken me long to get them back to where they were in the classroom, although the state of the room when I returned almost (seriously) made me cry. The problem at the moment is their behaviour in the playground. Some of the girls are being REALLY awful to each other and most of the boys seem to be either fighting or swearing. I am trying to deal with it as best I can, but nothing seems to be working, and it is making me really frustrated/angry/sad/depressed/fed up… etc… etc… Other teachers are saying that their kids are doing similar things, so it could just be ‘end-of-term’ behaviour. It is just SO disappointing, as every time I walk in the room I get the whining and dobbing. Honestly, it is constant and more than a few kids each time. It is really wearing me down. I have 5 school days to get through, before a day of professional development, then two weeks’ holidays. I’m hoping to be able to get through them, but yesterday I had a good cry two times and I actually thought that I may just go to the doctor and ask to be medicated. I have NEVER considered that before, but I just don’t see the end of this tunnel and my talks with the clinical psych don’t seem to be doing a whole lot. I have my third appointment with her this afternoon and I should book to see the doctor tomorrow, as she wanted to see me again. I will see how I am feeling by the weekend. Fingers crossed that things will settle at school.Oh well… that is enough complaining from me.

Catherine – CONGRATULATIONS on getting your permanent residency!!!!!!!! I know (from the spouse’s view) what an incredible relief that is, and I hope you found some way to celebrate.
I’m really sorry that your family didn’t acknowledge your birthday. That must really hurt, but it sounds as though it is out of your hands, so I just hope that hubby spoilt you rotten and took a little of that pain away.

Lisa – It sounds as though you got perfect tickets to the games. I am not a sports person at all, but I understand how important this sort of thing is to a sports fan.
I’m glad that the hunger is easing for you. It is totally understandable that you would still love something to ‘eat’, but your time will come. Do you get to have times where you incorporate ‘food’ with your drinks, like Sharon, or is your program drinks the whole way until you reach target? Sorry, you may have mentioned this before, but I have a memory like a sieve.

Andrea – I’m glad your foot pain is easing. I know how frustrated I get when I WANT to exercise and some kind of pain or illness is stopping me.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you that your skin returns to ‘normal’ after you lose your weight. I wasn’t so lucky, but I am almost 20 years older than you and I was obese for a LONG time. Still, I would rather be smaller, fitter and healthier and flabby, than the size I was and have tight skin.

Chimichanga – I am just hearing on the news about the accident on the river over there. It sounds horrific. It would be great if they found the 14 year old girl alive, but it doesn’t sound as though they are holding out much hope.
How are you after your bridge walk? It sounds as though you probably shouldn’t have attempted it if you were sore to begin with, but I know that when I have my mind set on something, very little can deter me from it. We can be our own worst enemy at times huh?
Oh… and I LOVE my icecream, and have it almost every day for afternoon tea (low fat kind) but I don’t think I have EVER had icecream for breakfast. At the moment, something like that would not be appealing at all, we had our lowest minimum on record the other day, then the second lowest on record the following day. Today is a LITTLE warmer, but not by a great deal. I’m not sure I’m ready for winter weather yet.The gift for your friend (and yourself) sounds like a wonderful idea. What a great way to remind yourself of your strength and determination.

Oops… that will have to do for this time. I had better head off to work and see how my students are going today. They are usually so beautiful, supportive and simply adorable, and I hope to see that again soon.
Take care all,
Zelma

Catherine, I’m so sorry your family and inlaws are so, …… mean. However, I’m very happy for you and your permanent papers. HA HA to your mil. Remember, you have true friends here and a wonderful dh that really loves you. I happily accept you as part of my family.

Today was better than the past several days, but not great. I’m off to be actually, cuz I’m just not feeling well.

Zelma, I’m very sorry your kids have been naughty. I’ll bet it’s cuz it’s almost holiday time. Our kids get that way here too. Especially before spring break. And home work! It becomes a major event to get Abby to settle down and do hers. Please, feel better honey.

hi ladies
just wanted to quickly post and share my good news. i lost 3 lbs the contest is over, and they arent announcing the winners til next week, but i am pretty sure my team will remain in third at the final lab screening my cholesteral, blood sugar, etc was great. i lost a total of 41 lbs during this challenge but still have more to go. im sorry to ramble on, its just that i am so excited. i am so close to 200, somewhere i havent been in a long, long time i am both excited and scared.
congratulations to all the losers, to anyone struggling, heres a hug, i know the feeling.
i will post some personals tommorrow. have a wonderful evening
Happy Belated birthday, Catherine

Michelle, way to go on finishing that workout. It feels so satisfying to do the exercise, doesn't it? I'm starting to see how people can say they enjoy it. I like how On Demand will show a lot of old movies for free and other ones that Blockbuster wouldn't normally carry.

Brenda, it's probably a combination of reaching that goal and TOM. Maybe your mind is thinking you've worked hard so long and reached this point, now you deserve a break. But what you really need is to keep going! Here's a from me to you.

Emily, congrats on completing your exercise challenge and losing all those inches! I bet it feels amazing! Your new regimen sounds hard but you can do it!

Sandy, glad to hear you found your old counselor. And here's a for you, hoping you get back on the 'good food wagon' real soon. Stress can make us do crazy things, and it sounds like you've got a lot going on.

Andrea, I have read a few good books lately, actually! My biggest dilemma now is choosing what to read next - I have 7 unread library books on my nightstand. Austin seems like such a cool city to me - I saw a bit of it when I watched 'Rollergirls' (LOVED that show - gotta love girls who kickass). Glad to hear your foot's feeling a bit better. I totally relate to wishing I was back in a size 22! We'll both be there again, though - and better!

Lisa, good for you for treating yourself to season tickets! It's good to reward ourselves with things other than food.

Catherine, congratulations on getting your permanent residency! I am so happy for you! I remember the day I got mine, and the relief is just beyond words, and I had family supporting me (on both sides), so I can't imagine the stress you've been under - your MIL can go stick it. What a wonderful birthday gift!

Sharon, at least it was only the mini size chocolate, and not an entire bar! And kudos to you for spitting out the third piece, that made me smile. I grew up in Canada and so I never had AC either til I moved to the States a few years ago. But man, down here in the South we definitely need it!

DJCJ, how great that your daughter joined 3FC! I hope she gets as much out of it as we all do. And good news on finding a workout buddy - that will help a lot, I'm sure. And congrats on losing!

toofatforu, congrats on the loss!

chimi, you continue to amaze me with your thoughtfulness and creativity. You should post a pic of your bracelet.

Kymberly, 41 pounds is awesome! When did the contest start?


Me, I had a really good day. I walked 3 loops around the lake in the park (a mile and a half total) this morning and then I went and bought some of those outdoor pathway lights for our house. We've been wanting to put them in since our house is so far off the street and it looks so dark up here; we wanted a 'friendlier' vibe. Plus DH leaves in the morning when it's still dark and he wanted some lights to see his way to the car. So I bought some and then my SIL and I spent the afternoon putting them in. He was very pleasantly surprised when he came home and they look so pretty! We did a damn fine job, if I do say so myself.

The AC guy came today and checked out our unit. Turns out we need a new compressor and fan (uh, OK, whatever - just fix it!) so he fixed it temporarily so we could get some cool air and then will be back later this week when the new parts come in. Hubby is very happy to be sleeping in a cool room and not sweating through the night!

I have to say, as much as I love the sunshine, I really wish it would rain. It's been weeks since it rained here and none is in the forecast. It would help wash away some of this pollen that's covering everything, too. It's amazing to see all that greenish-yellow powder covering everything. Thank god it's not humid at least! You know, I never understood that expression 'it's not the heat, it's the humidity' until I moved here! Growing up on the East Coast of Canada, we never really had humidity. But boy, we have it in droves down here, especially come summer!

Anyway, after spending all afternoon sweating and toiling in the garden (as well as getting a touch of sunburn), I was bone tired and in no mood to cook a supper from scratch. And since DH can't even fry an egg, we decided to order a pizza. Now normally, this would be an example of our old habits. We ate out A LOT and for pizza, we'd typically order a large (or even extra large) pepperoni and eat it between us in one sitting. Tonight, we ordered a medium veggie pizza on thin crust and a chef salad. I ate two pieces of pizza and a bowl of salad; hubby ate 3 pieces and salad. And we still have enough left over for both of us to have lunch tomorrow. I'm pretty impressed with ourselves and don't feel guilty - such a refreshing change from our prior behavior!

Zelma -- I've asked the other mods about your posting problem. I'm leaving the post as is for now, so they can see it. Hopefully someone will have some answers!

I'm so sorry things are so hard at school.

LitChick -- WTG on the pizza, it's all about making better choices most of the time, isn't it? We dont' order pizza often, but have really changed how much we order too.

Hi ladies! Just wanted to drop in and send 'get well soon' vibes to those of you who are ill or injured. Welcome back to those of you returning, and welcome to the new ladies! We're glad to have you!

Congrats to all the losers (inches AND pounds!), and to those of you who have been able to keep at it! Congrats especially to BRENDA for losing over 100lbs! That's absolutely fantastic!

Catherine, I'm so happy to read that your immigration paperwork is finally going through. Happy belated birthday as well! I can't think of anyone more deserving of such a 'gift' than you!

Zelma, I hope your kids get back into a groove for you. I know it's hard coming back after taking time off, and I'm sure it's frustrating since things didn't go as you'd planned. Just remember to take time to take care of yourself, even though you're back at work!

Ammi, you're looking absolutely lovely! I'm sure you'll lose those 4lbs in no time. You've done an outstanding job so far, and I have no doubt you'll continue losing!

Not much to say on my end. I exercised a bit, and I've eaten less the last few days, so here's hoping I will see some sort of result on Sunday. If not, I'd like to run over the scale, but since I weigh at work, I'm sure the hospital would frown on it. Maybe kicking it down a few flights of stairs might make me feel better

Hi everyone .. firstly the personals.....

ANNIE - Get well soon hun!

ERICA - Great positive news about Amanda, Im sure that is a worry off your minds for sure

AMMI - Glad you are keeping positive, gees you havent treated yourself anywhere near as wildly as me lol .. April is my new beginning

HEATHER - Will get to the exercise thread and post something on there asap lol

LESLEY - Hope your AC gets fixed soon and doesnt cost an arm and a leg (although that is one way to lose extra weight I suppose rofl)

MECHELLE - WTG hun on doing your exercise vid so well! Isnt it a great feeling??!!

BRENDA - Good luck on your financing - I know how frustrating it is waiting for the just a word when you want to go forward and do things, so dont be hard on yourself hunny .. as annoying as it is to hear ... good things really are worth waiting for lol.

EMILYMAY - Well done on achieving your exercise goal, that is a great NSV for sure

LUAN - Good to hear you are doing well and its great the positive vibes you let loose

CATHERINE - Firstly .. HAPPY BIRTHDAY from a member of your extended family GREAT GREAT GREAT news about your residency, I know how much work it takes (thanks to a couple of friends going through the long and drawn out process!), Im sure that is definitely a weight off your mind .... as for family ... its true you cant choose em .. but you CAN choose to accept them as they are and just go on with your life as it best for YOU. Even after my nephews death I still havent talked to my brother .. its not that I dont want to .. I just know that he still has a lot of anger towards me, so at this time I choose to wait, but I hope you will be able to accept thats just the way they are .. and you are a better person that can overcome any negativity they feel it their right to dish out Huggies hun.

ZELMA - Great new "do!" Sorry to hear things are like that at your school, I do have to wonder sometimes where this aggression comes from, I dont remember anything like this when I went to school, but I see it a lot over here too ... grrrrr.

SANDY - Just want to give you a big hug hun, you know you can msg me whenever you need to vent it out hun xxx

CHIMI - Oops on the ice cream lol .. still .. if you have to listen to your body talkin dirty rofl .. could have been worse lol.

PEGGY - Lovely pics .. thank you for sharing The beginning ones are always interesting to look back on

KYMBERLY - WTG on your loss!!! That is just fantastic



Okee ... well ... I dont know where yesterday went to .. and here it is almost another day over and I have only just picked up the laptop to catch up!

We had new incense arrive today so I had to get them all priced (arrgggh), tomorrow I should have more bears and angels arriving to price .. its good they are coming this week because I know I have a big shipment coming on the day that we open!! I have been checking everything off my list, signage is all go .. confirmed the business card design (never had a "real" business card .. just home made ones lol) ... went and bought a small microwave, bar fridge, electric jug and toastie sandwich machine today ... this way I wont be tempted to go round the corner to McDonalds, Subway or over the road to the Fried Chicken shop for lunch ... Im gonna take my meals etc and prepare them there

So hopefully tomorrow will be a little slower so I can fit in some exercise .. if you want a sneak peek at some of the things we will have in our store .. let me know in a msg and I will send you the link

Positives today ...

I got the incense all priced and boxed up ready to go ...

I got some lovely new bedding for our bed .. its all black! lol .. I have always wanted black bedding and I saw it today on special so I grabbed a set

LOVE HUGS AND LAUGHTER EVERYONE!!

This week must be our lucky week!

I am VERY glad that Amanda doesn't have to have surgery, but she is still having stomach issues. Hoping that we can get those resolved soon!

Wanna hear my other good news? Ya sure you can handle it?!

She got a JOB! She is delivering news papers on a route at night. It's working about 20 hours a week ( 7 days a week) and makes like $400.

Other than that I really don't have much information to share. I need to buy a scale and will be looking for one soon!

Hey there
Glad to see everyone is here on a positive note this morning. I only have a min for an update but I wanted to let you all know that my new car is in the yard. Finally! Stress has been lifted and I can finally move on. Feels amazing to only have one payment and all the credit stuff is off my mind as well. We can finally plan a trip to visit friends of ours and we have been promising them for.... about 3 years we were coming! YEA!

Eating wasnt too bad yesterday. It wasnt the "best" but certainly no guilt there. I am puffy puffy puffy so I took a pill for that and the grand ole mentsral migraine is looming and since I am on my way to work at the store I dont think I can take one of my "super" pills till 2 this afternoon. I will just take a tylenol or something. Maybe if I eat too it might help.

Time is ticking and if I want to go to work then I had better eat and do my hair. Its kinda stormy today here. I'll get to try out my all-wheel-drive. Since Steve hasnt even let me drive it yet LOL

Brenda