Wonderful news, MrsTryingAgain! I hope he has the same positive improvements that I've seen with my friends who have undergone the same procedure - it really turned all of their lives around.

NEMom - I hope DS gets things worked out. I worked for years with people with MH issues and it seems to be "two steps forward, one step back." So frustrating, but as long as you can keep moving forward, it gives you the energy to carry on.

Piano tuning took TWO hours! Man, do I love DD or what??

So, my scale still hasn't moved. My clothes still fit the same. I'm in this almost three weeks now. I'm frustrated. Wonderslim is a low carb/high protein eating plan. I thought I'd give it a try for a month, mostly because I really need convenience right now with all the extra hours at work that I'm putting in and with my kids' extra activities. It's tasty, but doesn't seem to be working for me.

News stations are going crazy with the storm coming our way. It's so hyped up that it is almost hilarious. "Get gas in your car!!" "Buy milk!!" "Have a generator on hand!!" I bet we get two inches at best. Not that I'm complaining - I would love a snow day tomorrow!

Happy Tuesday!

As I promised myself, here's today's chat post. I did much better with eating yesterday. It would have been great, but when we finally got home last night, we were all starving and when we walked in the house, DD#1 is pulling the last tray of chocolate/butterscotch chip cookies out of the oven. CRAP!!! Yes, I had two. I should say, I only had two. Previously it would have been 4 or 5. Small victory, but still didn't help my calorie count for the day. They sure were good though...

MrsTryingAgain: Again, so happy H got his pacemaker! Your relief must be nearly immeasurable. Is he home now? I have no experience with this kind of thing...does he have to take anti-rejection meds or anything like that since it's a foreign body in his body. Or maybe not...it's not an organ transplant. Anyway...how is he feeling?

sept2012: Thanks for those words of support. I really need to hear them because I tend to lose steam on a longer term goal like this. It sounds good now...but in 6 weeks I'll have lost my enthusiasm. Or maybe not...I REALLY want this part! Ever seen Sweeney Todd? It's the part of Mrs. Lovett. I could play it at my current weight, but I want the self-confidence that will come with having lost weight (plus I won't have seen the director for over a year, so the loss will be impressive to him too!). I won't mind if you remind me of your beliefs in a few weeks... I'm keeping your dad in my thoughts. I lost mine 3 years ago after a lengthy illness. It's not easy, that's for sure. Sounds like you are there to provide some strength and companionship to him...keep it up!

2FatCats: LOL! Some people are good at "nursing" and some aren't. Also, some are better patients than others. I'm ok at the nursing thing, but DH is a TERRIBLE patient. Drives me crazy! Hope things are back to normal for you today.

petra65: Hope you're warm today!

ukemama: Was your piano way out of tune? 2 hours seems like a long time. But what do I know? Our piano hasn't been tuned in over 50 years. Are you going to go the full month with the Wonderslim? I feel your frustration! After 2 months, I'm still in the same pant size. Other than the lack of obvious progress, do you like the plan? Don't get me started on the media's overblown response to a snowstorm. Geez, you'd think it's the end of the world or that none of us has ever experienced snow before. Must be a slow news day, so they have nothing else to focus their energies on. And you're right about the amount. At our house, we call it the "exclusion zone". If they say we're going to get 4-6 inches of snow, we know it will be less than 4 or more than 6.

To everyone else: Have a GREAT, on plan day!

Magicsusan: Yep you hit it on the nail why I try not to do weight specific goals based on dates. I think health oriented goals sound like an excellent idea.

NEMom: WTG to get back to C25K yesterday. I'm planning elliptical today myself. As far as I'm concerned vent away here. We can all relate in one way or another. Hope things improve soon with your son.

LindaWW: That's what we've got to do--eat out when we want but make sure to compensate before and after. Yay on the NSV with the jeans! Wonderful!

MrsTryingAgain: WOO HOO wonderful news! I'm so glad H's surgery went well and the pacemaker is in! Thank you for being such a great cheerleader in every post!

2FatCats: hope hubby is better soon. There is nothing worse than a sick man (male, lol... I think boys are nearly as bad from what I've heard).

petra: Hoping for warmer weather for you. Lol if it is snow I'll take it!

ukemama: Lol been there at the piano tuning. Lol it does seem to take a long time. As for your eating--look at it this way: If you are in a very busy, stressful time and this program has allowed you to maintain that is a success. Sure it stinks to not be losing but it is better to do something where you maintain than to struggle unsuccessfully with counting calories or points, etc. and gain. Lol I am with you on wanting snow!

Moondance: FYI--I use notepad to take notes so I don't have to worry about closing a tab... it asks first if you want to save changes before you X it out. Been through the play openings many a time. Lol every year since 2003 I think. All 3 of my daughters have been involved in drauma in HS... the first 2 acting and the last (and currunt) dd is a techie. I've run the snack cart for them for 4 years or so now. Fun fun that you may get on stage again soon. My middle daughter would love that too.

To answer your questions about Vegas. I wanted to see a show but DH isn't much of a show person. I really wanted to see the traditional Vegas dancing girl show but the only non-topless show was Saturday night (when we had to be at the airport to leave) so we didn't see it. I just didn't feel comfortable to go to the topless version. Thought about seeing Jersey Boys too but DH wasn't remotely interested. As for gambling, my favorite is Craps. Don't know a lot about it but it is fun. Seem to do far, far better at it than at slots (the only other thing we did was some slots--quarters for about $5 and $21 for DH on pennies and $6 for me. I started with $11 but got bored so cashed out with $5 left and went to the crap tables and put in $20 and got back $21. All total I figure I lost $30 and DH $66. Lol the total about equalled our one expensive meal. The only somewhat bad thing that happened there was getting rear-ended Friday night. Thankfully no damage to the rental car but my body doesn't like even low impact hits and so I'm back to my chiropractor again. The other driver ended up taking off. Not sure if we can trace him or not (have a picture of his liscence plate but it is very blurry not sure if it can be cleaned up to read it or not... and I'm not sure we wrote it down correctly (can you say rattled?). Thank goodness for our own insurance (oregon has automatic medical insurance with auto insurance). Our agent says if we need to use it since it clearly wasn't our fault it won't make our insurance jump. I am NOT going to let this stop my diet/exercise though... onward & downward!!

Amazingly enough I lost this week. I'm down 1.2 but really only .4 because I gained last week. Now to get back to really digging into the exercise. Got to keep on it!

Have a great day everyone!! Let's lose!

I kinda got left behind in February. Now that I know a new thread starts each month I should be able to keep up with you all!

How is everyone doing anyway? Spring is a little delayed here in NC. It's encouraging to see all the gardening stuff filling the shelves in stores! I'm still keeping healthy choices at the top of my daily list of things to do...woot woot!

I had a busy weekend! We rescued a Cockatiel and we have been working to get him acclimated to his new healthy and safe environment. Our other Cockatiel is also getting used to having company. His name is Herbie and he keeps surprising us with what he can do. He makes an awesome wolf whistle and has shared a fun vocabulary. He says: "Hey Herbie" "Hey there Herbie" and "Pretty Bird"! We tracked down information from his leg banding and he is almost 10 years old.

@2FatCats: So happy that you had to exchange the capris you ordered because they were too big! AWESOME! I have a few pairs in my closet that I hope to be wearing again very soon. Where do you live in NY? We just relocated to NC a year ago from north of Syracuse, NY. I worked in Watertown, NY and my husband worked in Canton for a while a few years ago.

Well, I'll stop back tomorrow. Time to go play my Wii! Thinking of you all!

Lisa I know what you mean about delayed spring. We had one day 2 weekends ago that gave everyone spring fever... in the 70's and now its just crappy up and down rainny weather. I have never been to Scottland but imagine this is what it would be like. Gray, glom and rain so many days in a row... its messing with my mind makes me want to go home and put on warm clothes when I am going home and putting on workout clothes intead! Drowning in ATL hahahahaha.

NEMom your DS should know that there are women he doesn't even know exist that are pulling for him and you, hope everything works out for both of you and your family I remember looking back at some poems and stuff that I wrote in my teens when I was older and thinking what a drama queen I was, but it didn't feel like it at when I was in my teens, anyway, again wishing you all the best

MoondanceThanks for the good thoughts! I'm so jealous of your daffodils poking out, we're still white and frozen in NE PA, it'll probably be a few weeks to a month before we see them poking out...ok, somehow THAT made me feel better, thanks for that

MrsTryingAgain So happy things went well for your DH!! YAY!!

But here in SW PA we had them poking out last week. Hopefully this week's snow didn't do them in...

NEMom, good luck with your son. I hope he is able to turne corner soon.

Mrs. Trying again, I'm so glad all is well with your husband

Good news, bad news day...
H was released this AM, he says he feels much better...not so much fatigue & even his feet feel better.
Bad news, he needs to have yet another procedure. This is to stop his heart from racing. The cardiologist was hoping one set of leads would do the trick...nope. He had a couple of episodes late last night/early this AM. He'll have it in about a month. They'll put in 2 more leads into another part of his heart.
Good news, I got quite a bit of rest yesterday & today in spite of H being in & out of the hospital.
Bad news, totally OFF program. No walk, poor eating, a little bit of H2O. Tomorrow will be better! I gotta get back on track ASAP or it'll just be harder to do.

Sorry this is short...I gotta get H settled in. He wants a shower/sponge bath & to be tucked into bed. Oh, to be a nurse.

BE HEALTHY! BE AWESOME! MAY EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT WEDNESDAY!!! GO!!! GO!!! GO!!!

Being 48, I came over to find you girls. I have been following the Metabolic Research Clinic plan and did well for the first three weeks losing 17.5 lbs. However, I have been on a plateau for the past two weeks losing only .5 lbs. I hope my weight drops this week or I feel the need for a change as I will binge if I lose motivation. I know myself and I don't handle plateaus at all. I do try to exercise at least 3 days per week at the pool as I have a back injury that greatly limits me. I am even in an electric wheelchair if I have to walk very much. I do want to be healthy though so that is why I am trying to get these last 25.5 lbs off.

Pooh.
Sprained my knee.
When I bend my leg, it hurts.
Howling Gigantic Curses hurts.
You forget these things when you're sleeping, ya know. Fun night for the TH. ha
Never had a knee sprain so a fun, new life experience for me!

900 calories so far today. Left work briefly 'bout 5:30 to get dinner. Been too busy to make my meals. Ended up at one of those bag-it-yourself grocery stores where all the men spit before they enter. Picked out a healthy looking turkey sandwich and took it back to work. When I checked the wrapping for calories, I noticed a misspelling...."Hoggie".....Crap!.....even my dinner is calling me names!

Well, I met my big deadline. phwhew! Ex...Hau...Sted. On to the next deadline. Work work work & stress stress stress. But hey! my complexion is good!

Go MrT! Go MrT! Go MrT!....Bionic Man!......another month!......Really??!!??......Really??!!??

My heart is broken for you NEmom. Hopefully the spring weather and spring sports will help lift your DS up. Does he have a pet?

Hey firegirl441 (Hot Chick!)! My plateau has been longer. Nya Nya Nya... Not a contest I want to win! Ugh. Let's keep pluggin' away and hopefully someone else will walk away with the trophy.

Oh Moondance, I LOVE Sweeney Todd! Only in the theatre, though. "What a day! What a day! For an auto-da-fe!" You must be some ballsy woman to take on the role of Ms. Lovett!

....well now I'm in the mood for meat pies....Niters all.....I need me some SLEEP....

MsTryingAgain.

A. Off plan for a day like yesterday is ok! Give your self a break (which it sounds like you are doing). Rest is the key element for you both right now and everything else (except the WATER intake can wait)

B. If your past that part my quote for the day is....

"Its not about what I didn't do yesterday; its about what I will do today"

Good luck with everything. You know with these things there will be ups and downs until he starts healing and getting adapted. My thoughts are with you both.

Looks like the weatherman got it right for once. Six plus inches. I got my snow day!!

Ladies,

I was reminded, so profoundly, last night of "I AM”. For any of you that are familiar with this concept it’s printed on a bracelet that I had made for myself and wear everyday so that when I look at it can say “I AM" and follow it up with something positive. You know that the majority of our subconscious thoughts are negative. Something like 80% of the 1000’s of thoughts we have each day are not in line with what we really want in our lives. They are those thoughts that say “I am FAT”, “I am not worthy”, “I will never get a new job”, “no one will ever love me”, “so and so is so rude” or ugly or fat or mean or whatever…. on and on and on they go until we consciously put a stop to them. So I have believed and practiced the “I AM” concept for many years, however if we are being honest if I practiced it every day then I wouldn’t have to be reminded of it right? It’s funny how these things happen. I was speaking to a long lost friend (20 years ago we had science class together). He and I were talking about business ideas and at the end he mentioned the creative process and basically without sounding corny how thoughts and ideas manifest in your life when you least expect them. What is important is what you do with them. You know what else comes into your life when you least expect it? People who remind you of important things that you believe in. People who remind you that there are likeminded people all over the place and they are put in your path when you are ready. It reminded me that I AM the only person in charge of my thoughts, my beliefs, my practices and the direction of my life. So I went off to bed last night making a conscious effort to remind myself of the things I AM and the things I want in my life. When those moments of “that could never happen” started to rear their ugly heads I overrode them with another I AM thought. I slept peacefully for the first time in ages last night.

My challenge for you all today…. when a negative thought enters your mind replace it with an “I AM” thought. It can’t be “I WILL “or “I AM going to” … as these cancel the thoughts out as if they are not already a part of what you are. You have to act as if it is already here in your life today. Believe it, feel it, practice it and know it. Before you can imagine it will be.

Joy