Happy new year to you too Annie!

Brenda, so glad to see you back. I love the tag line too! Glad to see you recommited to this too. We can do it, ya know.

Jeanne, isn't it just too much fun? I finally caught up with hubby on songs. We are going thru each of the beginner ones and trying to score a B or better. We've even gotten a couple of AA's.

Kayley, you need to get out and get some food, girl!! Soup is great for the cold weather, but you need variety. That was great that you stayed home and avoided all the junk.

Angie, isn't it a hoot? I know what you mean about the pad not being very big for big feet. Jim has size 13's and I have 11's so it's a tight fit. Yep, the slow ones are the tuffies for me. I got no rhythm.....boo hoo.

Xena, I know there is one out there with your name on it!

Catherine, what does alligator taste like? Is it a lean meat? Just curious. Sounds like the party came off without a hitch. Wow, you do get drunk easily. What's better than no headache the next day too. You're a party animal!!

Heather, You'll get addicted!! Hey, what about the Packers in the Super Bowl??

Have a great night and a lovely OP and movin' day tomorrow!
Debbie

Good Morning Ladies,
Day one on SB is behind me and was op!
Right now it's 3 degrees farenheit plus the wind chill.
Man, do I wish I had today off cuz it's NASTY cold.
I need to go, but wanted to tell everyone Good Morning.
Let's make sure we drink our water and stay op!!

Sandy - I can't even IMAGINE what 3F is like!!! The coldest I remember it ever getting anywhere I lived was -1C/28F and that was in the middle of the night and I STILL felt freezing, even tucked up in my warm bed. Just the THOUGHT of it being that cold was enough to give me goosebumps on my goosebumps. I hope that things aren't too cold for you for long.
Well done on getting through the first day of SB. Just one day at a time... that is all that counts.

Helen - Sorry, I can't help you with any ideas for sit down exercises, but I'm sure some people will have some great suggestions. I hope that your shoulder and knee improve soon so you have more mobility to exercise.

Catherine - I'm glad you survived the New Year's Eve gathering with the extra people. Is Himself still in the dog house, or have you let him out on his leash for a little while? He really has to learn to check with you before making all of these wonderful plans. His heart is in the right place, but he needs to remember that you aren't Super Woman, no matter how much he may believe that you are.

EmilyMay - I am SO glad that you are enjoying your job so much. I remember when you were still at school and you were so excited about actually getting out into the 'busy' side of things.
It was interesting to hear you say that you wanted to work on your marriage with renewed energy. I feel as though I have been doing that lately. I have a feeling that I was starting to get into a too familiar rut and I felt the need to freshen things up a little. I have really been putting extra effort into paying hubby extra attention and letting him know how special he is to me. I hope things work out well for you in this area.

Xena - It sounds as though you are REALLY eager to get moving in the new year. For some reason I have been feeling really positive about 2008 as well. I am not sure what the difference is, but I just feel as though I can do SO much this year and I am eager to start doing things now. I'll have to watch myself though, because I tend to push myself a little too hard at times and I need to learn to pace myself more.
Your goals look excellent and I look forward to hearing how each of them turns out for you.

Valerie - I think you have a good plan with not setting deadlines for yourself. I am very similar to you and I tend to not work well with deadlines, so my main aim with my weightloss was always to simply to have lost weight and be healthier and fitter by the time I was 44, then to maintain that for 12 months before I planned anything else. I achieved that almost 2 years ago and things are still going well. With the aim to simply be healthier, you are setting yourself up for a much greater chance at success, which is wonderful.

Carol - Congratulations on the 5lb loss!!!!! I wish I could drink lots of water. I REALLY have to work on that.
Remember that if you ever do decide to come to Australia and you manage to get to the west coast, PLEASE contact me so I can make you welcome. With enough warning I could even clear out the spare room so you had somewhere to stay.LOL

Battle - Most of our homes are double brick and tile, which makes them a little cooler I think. We didn't get air conditioning until a few years ago and I am sure I managed OK, even at my largest, but I wouldn't swap it for anything now! We have been told that there could be a severe drain on the power grid tomorrow due to some problem or other, so they have asked us to limit our air conditioning use. At 40C/104F I'm not sure how that is going to work out.
I am going to be eagerly watching for when you reach the 100lb mark.

Ratkitten - Getting a new TV and stand is a GREAT reason to do housework. Decluttering feel SO good! I had to do a lot of that (and still have a lot more to do) at the end of the school year when I found that I won't have a classroom to put stuff into next year. I threw out a LOT of stuff and it was actually really 'cleansing'. I knew that a lot of it was old and I may never use it again, but I was holding onto it "Just in case." Well, if I ever need it again I will just have to find other ways to teach without it. That will make life even more interesting.
I'm glad you liked the rhymes. I keep trying to think of other words that rhyme with 'EIGHT'. As a teacher this is something I could definitely get hooked on. Or is that called "obsession". LOL

I am contemplating getting a DDR of some kind, but probably should save the money. I have enough 'toys' to exercise with at the moment (treadmill, exercise bike, Eliptical/Cross Trainer and a number of DVDs) so I don't really NEED anything else, but it just sounds like a lot of fun.

It's been another hot, humid day today and getting hotter tomorrow (40C/104F) so I've spent a bit of the day sweating. I still managed 60 mins of aerobics this morning and 30 mins on the Cross Trainer this afternoon (with the air conditioner AND the fan on) which I was happy about. I seem to have a burst of energy at the moment, so I'm taking advantage of it.

Off to the tennis tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what 'grunting' goes on in the women's match. The other day Serena AND Lucie (from the Czech Republic) were grunting, just at different tones, so you would hear a deep grunt (Serena) then a higher pitched grunt (Lucie) going back and forth all through the game. It was 'interesting' at least.

Well, off to bed to read in the airconditioning.

Take care,

Zelma

Good Morning Everyone and Happy New Year!!!


Today is the start of being OP and getting back in the swing of things!!
I like to start Jan 2 because we go back to school/work and are not sitting around recovering from New Year's Eve. Not that I am a party animal (anymore!), it's just that if I am not in bed by 11pm I am thrown off for the whole next day.
I couldn't find my WW books yesterday...but I finally realized this morning that they were in the same place as my scale. Which, by the way, I did get on first thing yesterday and sadly to report, I have a 6lb gain for reverting back to my old way of eating. So that makes 11lbs since Halloween !!! But I have my plan for today already figured out and no pity parties allowed!!! (Even though it pisses me off how hard I worked to get the 11lbs off and all it took was the excuse of the holiday season to fall back into bad habits!!!)
But it's a new day and DDR is calling!!!! I am going to wait until we get home so Sammi and I can shake our booty!!! We had friends over for New Year's Eve and it was really fun to watch the kids having a ball. Even Andrew got going as he wasn't gonna let the girls have all the fun. He was really good at it too! That kid cracks me up.
We managed to score a weight lifting thingy at Sears, but we have to clean out the garage to set it up as our ceiling upstairs is 1 inch too short to set it up there. I think it will be good to have for all of us to use. It looks like one of the ones at the gym...all pulleys and bars and things to lift with your legs.

Sorry no time for personals, as I have rambled on too long and need to get the crock pot running for dinner tonight, and then hit the shower! So here's a big and tons of for the start of all our good health and success in the New Year!!!

good morning everyone. just about to pop on my gazelle for the 2nd time today... i really cant do much at one whack but i know i will in time... i was like this with my treadmill too slow start but hey its a start... then i think i will play some WII too! Heather you will love it it i do!

Hi everyone!!!XXXXXXX Well I got on the scales, there was a 7lb gain I had to 're-do' my ticker BUT it's not as bad as I expected, TOM is OVERDUE and I feel ratty, tired, icky & downright b*tchy!!!lol I start South Beach tomorrow (hubby took us out for dinner so I HAD TO HAVE lasagne) I see a few others are following it too so we can swap recipes & tips, how about it?
It's pretty cold here, no idea of the temp but puddles are freezing over & it's getting dark already & it's only 4pm!!!!
Yes Catherine I KNOW (lol!!) how cold & dark it gets there, I could NEVER move somewhere THAT COLD!!!!!Hope your leg/knee is healing, at least you can hole up til it gets warmer & then start to walk about.xxxxxxx
Zelma, have you lightened your hair or did the sun do it? Either way it really suits you! I'm glad you are enjoying your 'musical' talents AND sharing them with others.xxxxxxx
Brenda, yes, I think a lot of us are scared of getting on the scales but it's a new year & new start for all of us, chin up, we can do this together.xxxxxxx
Patti, GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK WITH US!xxxxxx
Well I missed a lot of you but I have stuff to do, hugs to all.xxxxxx
xxxxxsharon

HELLO EVERYONE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It sounds like most everyone survived the holiday rush. It's good to be back on the boards and reading up on everyone.

This is the first year I have EVER made a New Years resolution...I am posting it here to make myself more accountable:

1. Move! Every day for at least 20 minutes (trying to work up to around an hour). Walk, Jog, Dance, Jump, Sports, Gym....whatever....JUST MOVE!

2. Stop eating foods that make me feel sick! I have TERRIBLE food allergies and am allergic to practically everything I enjoy eating...This will make me a quasi-low carber by default. This will take some getting used to since my tastes are mostly vegetarian...but I feel it is worth it.

3. Make my health a TOP priority! Too many times I put my own health on the back burner. It's time to take care of myself!


I feel really good about my goals! I am not going to obsess about the scale, or my clothes....HEALTHY is the keyword for me now!

2008 is going to be the year of improved health!!!!! And I feel REALLY good about it!

WOOHOOO!!

<sneaks into room>

Hi everyone...

Remember me? I am back! Got sidetracked over the holidays, but not terribly so as the habits I got into earlier this year saved me. I am back OP completely as of today.

I am so very thankful that I can actually say that I am healthier and lighter beginning 2008 than I was beginning 2007!!

Debbie-I find alligator tastes kind of like that imitation crab stuff with the texture of chicken. At least the farm raised does. Wild caught tastes more fishy. What we get here is farm raised in Thailand. I guess being the daughter of a caterer has made me a bit of a party animal. He is encouraging me to do them I think as a way of giving people an excuse to come over since I’ve been isolated by my injury.

Zelma-He gets out of the dog house pretty quickly. He is a teddy bear that I find impossible to stay mad at. He also got up early this morning to take my sewing machine in to be repaired without having to be prodded. He may get into little messes now and then, but he spoils me terribly most of the rest of the time. Hope you guys cool down soon. Growing up in Oklahoma, I’ve seen a few of those 45C days. Can’t say that I ever enjoyed them. We are going to get up to 0 today for a few minutes, so there is hope that Spring may eventually come. The problem with it warming up here is that when it is really cold, it is too cold to snow. When it warms up is when we get walloped with heavier snow.

Donna-Everyone is getting back on the stick now that the holidays are over. We’ll just all have to do it together.

Toofat-There’s nothing wrong with doing your exercise in bites. I started by doing literally 10 seconds every hour. Your body burns extra calories for a certain length of time after exercising, so you can keep your body’s thermostat at a higher burn rate for more of the day by exercising more often.

Sharon-This time of year we only get about 6 hours of sunlight a day. We get longer twilights because the sun is at such an acute angle that it skids right below sunrise and sunset longer. The sun never gets higher in the sky than eyelevel. If you are driving South, it is always right in your face. 6 months from now I will be complaining about the sun coming up at 3am and waking me up, but now, I’d like it to come up before 10am.

Judo-You are right about having to put yourself first. I took care of everyone but myself for so long that I almost killed myself. Now I have to be very selfish. I have to lose this weight by myself, for myself first. I once left my former roommate in pre-op for having her knee replaced so that I wouldn’t miss my water aerobics class. She never forgave me, but I can’t allow myself to feel guilty about it. It’s like what they tell you when you get on a plane. If the air masks come down, you have to put yours on first before helping anyone else.

The New York Times had a great article today about the relationship between having clutter and trying to lose weight. If you get a change you can read it online. It made a lot of sense to me. When my house is clean and organized, I seem to be able to stick to plan so much easier. It shouldn’t matter, but it really does for me. How often do we describe getting organized as having a weight lifted off of us? There’s a reason we see it in those terms. My mom used to say that if it takes you longer than 10 minutes to find something, then it is time to clean. I have started off this year trying to keep things organized better, and it does make me feel better. I am taking it in small bites. Just like losing weight, no one can really lose 200 pounds, but they can lose 1 pound 200 times. I can’t clean and organize an entire house in a day, but I can go through one box of his stacked paper today. Time to roll up my sleeves for the day, and talking to my fat chicks is a good start to everyday if I want to be successful.

Hi Every One

I just thought I would check in and say hello. Been cooking up a storm and filling my freezer with healthy stuff so I have no excuse when I come home from work tired and lazy

Thinking I may have to go and rent DDR. U all have me curious. I don't know if I would use it enough to warrent buying it as I like to collect video games *L* and only play a few choice ones.

Big storm today here and we cant leave the house. Hubby is feeling better now that the flu bug has left him. Nice to have an extra day off.

Hi all! Not much time to post, as I'm going to spend lunch hour ACTUALLY WALKING! I'm 100% OP so far today, which will be a first in my recent past. I've been doing well, but haven't really stuck to the program. At least I was able to bump my ticker down a bit for my Wednesday weigh-in. Gotta keep movin', if I want the trend to continue!

Best wishes everyone!!

Hi girls! I'm on my 2nd day and cheated on myself already!!!! Grrrrrrr! I make myself so angry sometimes! I got to work, after 4 days off and first thing in my mouth was a raspberry meltaway......followed by probably 5 more and then a biscotti with my coffee!!!! I had a WW muffin (2pts) for breakfast at 5:30 a.m. and I guess that is not enough for me. I am going back to a bigger breakfast. I'm just too weak to get from breakfast to lunch.
I think I will do a WW bagel (2) with lt./ff cream cheese (2) and WW yogurt (1), 2 cups of coffee with ff van. creamer(2)!
Well, thanks for letting me get that off of my chest!!
I absolutely love my ddr! Thank you girls! My daughter who is trying to lose some weight as well, played on it until after midnight last night!
Well, I'm at work and better go get something done. Have a great day!

Hi back atcha Sandy!

Zelma, I feel for you so much sweating away in that heat. Hopefully it will cool down some time and you can go out and have another nice walk along the beach. Enjoy your day.

Donna, sounds like you have the makings of a nice gym with the new equipment you just got. Isn't the DDR a blast? I hope someday they make songs that are from 50's thru the 80's for us older folk. Have fun shakin' that bootie!

Sharon, that's all we can do is readjust the ticker AND our eating habits. I'm right there along side of you....readjusting.

judojed, sounds like you've got a great resolution going there. It's very reasonable too. Just drink that water, and move, move, move!!

Peggy, we've missed you!!!! So glad to see you back and OP again!

Brenda, I tell ya, you'll be addicted after you rent the DDR. Stay safe with that big storm a brewin'

Jar, Don't worry about it. You can get yourself back on track fast and you've already figured out what you have to do with the bigger breakfast. We all have our downfalls, we just have to figure out ways to avoid them.

Today is rainy so won't be doing anything outside. Stayed OP for 2 days now and it feels great. Even doing exercising everyday now for a change, which feels great too. Started watching the Biggest Loser Couples last night and the son and mother team is the one I'm rooting for. I feel like the mother, taking her son to fast food all the time. DS has lost weight and he's a big guy anyhow, 6'4" so he carries his weight well. He's just teddy bear size now.
All have a good OP day!
Debbie

Hi everyone,

Boy have I been struggling. I don't know what's happened, but it's time to get back to basics. Today I already slipped into mindless eating. I was shoving Ryvita crispbreads in my mouth, and all of a sudden realized that I had no idea how much I'd eaten. Luckily, there are only so many in the bag, and I haven't done any damage to my eating day, but it was a serious wake-up call about where my habits are headed if I don't take control now. I have to get back on board with paying attention and remembering why I'm doing this.

My TOM is a week late and I think it has impacted the challenge level of staying OP. I don't know how much weight I have gained--will wait for TOM to come and go before stepping on the scale.

I don't have time for full personals today, but wanted to welcome Torister back, who I have wondered about, and to comment on Catherine's info about clutter and weight.

I am a personal financial consultant, and I can tell you that there is a connection between clutter, weight, AND finances. Not all my clutter-prone clients are overweight, but there are definite patterns in that the clutter is a symptom of a set of issues that manifests in at least one other area. Of my clients that need help with organizing their financial lives, 90+ % also struggle with clutter and junk in their home. It's expensive to have clutter because
-you need space to store it, thus need a larger home or a storage unit
-you bought most of the stuff that is junking up your life, with a lot of it not being used
-you can't find things and don't know what you have, which leads to buying the same stuff more than once.

I'll often devise a plan with them that includes handling the physical clutter as well as the financial and emotional clutter.

I used to have a clutter problem, but have for many years lived clutter and junk free. My home is very simply decorated, and I've devised ways to make it as simple as possible to maintain a clean and reasonably neat space. I apply the same principles to helping my clients with managing their finances.

I obviously don't give diet advice, because how could I. That is the final frontier, if you will, in my life. But I can, with 100% certainty, assert that the underlying issues are related.