ok - so pretty much I'm an idiot - (thank you Velveteen for pointing it out!) I didn't even glance at the fact that I was on the March thread.. so here we are mid-April and I've been wondering if you were eaten by monster (as was suggested)

SO - HERE I AM!!!

I haven't read through to do personals... but I will tonight when I have more time. I will however post that I've lost 3.25" off my body this week... I'm excited

I will leave you now with the motivational quote of the day:

Think of yourself as a toy train. All toy trains de-rail now and then. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on track.

You go, Velveteen! ! I've been thinking about Irishfairy too -- hope it went well.

I have been doing some stress-eating lately; it was a crazy up & down week at work. On the same day we had a meeting that drove me crazy (rude and ill-informed colleagues) AND I got the thumbs-up on my application for promotion and tenure (yay!!!) We have another two weeks of classes -- but I can't afford to eat like a basket case for two whole weeks! aiiiighghghgh!!!

anita

I thought I was just going nuts. I hope you don't think I was pointing out that you are an idiot, because you are not!


Anita, hon, do I know all about stress at work. See if you can't plan extra well for these situations... and then stick to your guns. Other (rude) people at work are not worth you going off your plan, KWIM?

You can do this!!! Hang in there and plan for it each day!



So I have a question for you guys - I am a nutrition and diet book junkie... anyone have any recommendations for me for a new book to dive into?

Oooh, ooh, I do -- I love the Dean Ornish books, including _Eat More, Weigh Less_, in part b/c he talks about the importance of exercise and support systems -- it's about your whole life, not just the food you eat.

You are so right about planning; I should take some time this evening to pack lunches and snax!

anita

ola chicas, need hugs

sorry have been mia for a while..spent my time at the hospital being poked, prodded etc in any and every given part of me. only to be sent home in pain because they couldn't find anything. now have begun my odyssey thru specialists and have to say i am totally freaking out because the last time i had a "mystery disease" it turned out to be sarcoidosis an auto-immune disease and that's the last thing i want right now.

Anita - do it do it!!! get those lunches and snacks PLANNED out!

Thanks for the book idea... I'll go have a look online!

Jan I'm so sorry hon. When will you get to see someone else who may be able to give you some answers?

I have to say, at least I've never been satisfied with the Dutch way of sorting out medical problems... not sure if it's any better in Germany. I hope you get answers and SOON!!

I'm sending you lots of warm thoughts, Janda. It can be confusing and frustrating to have to deal with "mystery diseases" -- keep us posted on how you're doing. Oh, and the US system is no better at this than anywhere else, IMHO. (At least maybe you can stay in bed and read???)

hughughughughug,
anita

Anita, I ordered the book, 'twas cheap too! Only €8 with shipping!!

Hey ladies!

Sorry I haven't been around lately -I've been having some computer issues for the past week or so but I am up and running again. Missed you lot!

I am trying to catch up reading all your posts and will pop back in to chat.

Hey Red
glad to see you again!

just wanted to check in... it's Wednesday and I was very tempted to get on the scale again this morning, but I want to be able to put a in my signature for today... I really mustn't weigh more than once a week it just affects me too much!

went to the gym again last night... wasn't that into it but I pushed through!

challenge for today - don't have a lot of food to take with me to work today and I am going to see a colleague right after work who just had a baby. Even if I am hungry I have a few apples with me and I'll chew a lot of gum if I have to to stave away the hunger until I get dinner.

Hope you all are well, thinking of you Jan and hoping that you are not feeling too poorly right now!!

Hey all I am sorry I haven't been around my mouse broke and I had to go buy a new one...Well I guess you want to hear how my weekend went...first off I didn't get past the first tier but here is my story lol
first off going to vent about my weekend. Friday night I had my family over for dinner my mom brought good luck cake..nice thought bad for me though. then my son went to my moms for the night and my sister and her boyfriend stayed over we had to be up at 4 in the morning and leave by 5 to go to my audition. I was so wired in the car on the way down I didn't fall asleep. We reached Toronto and took the subway to the audition. The audition was outside and as we lined up (we were about 100th in line) it started to rain. I put up my umbrella but since so many people were piling in we got squished together and my umbrella wasn't really covering me. 8:00 comes and we are supposed to start....nothing happens. people start to smoke around me and I can barely breath oh did I mention it was REALLY cold. they do a soundcheck for the concert, then more waiting finally the host ben mulroney comes out and talks to us then they film him saying lines for the show like 100 times. then the first concert starts he sings 4 songs and repeats the last song for TV, then more waiting. then they do 100 shots of us screaming...still raining still cold. then the second sound check. then more waiting. then the second concert 4 songs..repeated last song 3 times to get a good shot for tv. more ben talking more crowd shots then they ask us to put our umbrellas down for more shots that take about 45 min ( now I am SOAKED and its only 1 degree celicius by the way thats one degree above freezing) more waiting then they say all the supports have to leave and the contestants start to get there numbers (its now like 11:00) my husband, sister and her bf leave. Then after I get my number more wiating and they say our supporters can come back we are going inside to a warm theater. I call my hubby on someones cell phone (they offered it to me) and they come back. I get lined up and they lead us to the theater. THen say our supporters cann't come in WHAT?!?! we wait inside for a while then comes my audition. I watch to groups go in before none advanced to the next level. We go in and there is two producers they are looking angry. I am freezing and chilled and my teeth are chattering (they don't offer us anything to drink this entire time!) they tell us to sing one at a time. First girl not so good, next girl AMAZING she sings country and they make her sing to songs...she is REALLY good. Then me.. I thought I did well messed up a bit but I was shaking form the cold, next girl good but forgot words, last girl....umm awful . they then give out critique. They say no thanks to the first girl then tell the amazing girl she is good but too nervous come back next year they look at me and they say...same to you. I don't hear what they said to the other girls because I was pretty upset. I then ask if I could sing my second song they let me. I sing they say it was better but they think I should come back next year after a little more training....and there ends my idol adventure. I swore I wouldn't cry but a mix of overtired, frusteration, cold and sore I went into the stairwell and cried. My family was outside and we left. We decided not to hang around becuase we were all so wet so we ate lunch and headed on the subway back to the car back home. we got on the subway the wrong way and had to get off and back on the other side. We got home and I was too stressed to sleep so I had a hot bath and dealt with all the phone calls and emails asking how it went. We went to bowling for hubbys work later that night but I had HUGE blisters from my wet socks and shoes. on our way to my moms house after the car starts making noise and the oil light comes on. we stop to get oil...but the oil isn't down enough to put the light on we top it up anyways and head to my moms. We sleep get up the next day and leave..half way home we start hearing more noises. We get home call my uncle and he says...well if its the oil pump you may have screwed the engine by now so don't drive anywhere!!!! so my husband had to walk to work this morning 1 and a half hours because we can't afford a cab if we have to pay for a new engine! and nobody from work would answer there phones to drive him. oh also when I got home I realised that There was a sink full of dishes and nobody had cleaned up after themselves all weekend so I have anhour of dishes to do as well as laundry and other house cleaning today. I am exhuasted, stressed and....umm yeah so that is my weekend I am sorry it is so long lol but I am about ready to curl up and die hope everyones weekend was better then mine. Oh and I was way off diet all weekend!!! I gained 4lbs over my weekend adventure but have lost 2 of them. I also just found out I am able to reaudition online but have to pick one of like 10 songs they give you I picked anna nalick 2am and am going to get my husband to record me...when I out it on I will give you guys the link so you can all comment about how great I am lol. thanks for all of your support

Eny: grats on the loss

Velveteen and Guy: thanks for thinking of me

Jan: OMIGOSH hunny I hope everything is ok BIG HUGS!!! let us know as soon as you know anything

hi ladies.need more hugs. public health systems blow!
am still getting shunted from one specialist to the next. noone knows what's wrong. everything sucks. sorry to be so negative but i just feel so frustrated, helpless and can't seem to control my anxiety. and my therapist is still on vacation. i must have broke down crying at least 4 times. thank you all for ur support and thinking of me!

irish: i am so sorry-but never give up and never say die!

velveteen and anita: thx sooooooo much for the hugs and kudos on staying on plan

Janda: I am so sorry hun!!!! Hopefully it turns out to be nothing!!! ANOTHER BIG HUG!!!!!! I can't imagine how you feel

Irish! I'm sorry you didn't get through your audition, but what, from what I understand, at least they said try again next year and didn't film you for "Worst Idols Auditions 2008". You know what I think...? Try again next year!!! Seriously girl, you have some guts to go and audition, why not train up and really kick some butt next time around? I really envy you, you actually DID it!

Never mind you were off plan... these things are understandable in the situation you were in! 2 of the 4 are off, the other 2 in no time!!!

Jan - I am so so sorry...!! are they giving you ANY information at all? Of course you have cried, I certainly would have! Hang in there and keep us posted. We'll be sending off some good energy for you. And I KNOW I am still a wee bit far away from you, but if I can do anything at all, ANYTHING, please let me know!