Thursday afternoon,

ledom, I got an e mail from 3fc with your post, but when I went into the site, you post was nowhere to be found. Very confusing. So, I read what you posted in my e mail. I absolutely loved your story. Thank you for sharing it with us. That got me thinking. I've been packing, and found my wedding dress, a mumu from Hawaii I bought when I was 23, and a sun dress I got in Hawaii on my honeymoon, all size 12. I looked at them and wondered was I really ever that small? Even though by today's standards, size 12 is a plus size. Speaking of photos. My girlfriend found a photo of the both of us when we were 12/13. We were always told by other people we were fat. We both look at those photos now and realize we were not fat...we both are now though. It's nice going down memory lane.

LaDean, how many carbs do you add at a time? I know in the book, Atkins for Life, he has an eating plan for various amounts of carbs ranging from 45 to I believe around 125 (I'm not really sure of the 125). Glad that it's working for you.

judi, how have you been these last couple of days?

We've been getting the house really..really..really clean because our RE agent is supposed to start showing it Saturday. Hopefully there will be people coming to look at it.

Enjoy your afternoon and evening.

Hey Alice,

I deleted it! Sometimes when I write a post that is so personal it freaks me out and I can't leave it. You know, just writing like in a journal and then it feels like too much to really put out in the world. But thanks, I am glad you did get to read it! You know, the sizes were smaller back then than they are today. Some of my old size 8's looked a lot smaller than an 8 today and DD thought so too.

Anyway, good luck w/ you house cleaning and selling!!!!

Hello!!

Ledom, I am SOOO SORRY to hear about Bea, what a terrible thing for you. You have lots of good memories of her and you gave her a wonderful home full of love. I am glad you got a new kitty. I love choc. point Siameses. I was watching a show about royal pets and Princess Michael adopted a big gray & white cat from the Battersea cat shelter for a mouser in the garage and he wormed his way into the Big House so they called him "Prince Charming" until he beat up Percy, the more aristocratic Siamese then he got demoted to being called "Dick" (to show his low born origins). It was a pretty cute show. I am always tempted to get another cat. Our foundling is the king of the place now.

Speaking of sizes I would be delirious if I ever was size 14 again. I would just love it and have no desire to be any smaller. I am 5" 4 1/2" and my smallest was 10 but being older now I think size 14 would be just great.

LaDean it must be great to have a garden like yours. Stuff from the garden is always so much better than anything bought in supermarkets.

Ledom, in the Civil War did they use glass negatives? I have seen glass negatives and they looked quite neat.

Alice, I agree with you...where did summer go? It seems to have gone by so fast. It really was the best summer for us...weather wise and just being home and not travelling. Though when the rains hit in winter I will be glad to travel again. Are you looking forward to setting up your new house? That will be fun and in such a diff. part of the states too. At our age I classify that as a first class adventure

I have been doing a lot of baking. A group of people are painting at our church and I am making the desserts for the meal together. It is fun. I bought some cookbooks (with recipes that I had when I first was married and misplaced) at the library annual book sale for 50 cents each. I have to take my baking there on Sat. morning. I still have one more thing to make...a tomato soup cake with carmel icing...that is the same time frame as your Harvest Gold fridge Ledom.

That is about all the news here.

TGIF!!!

It's a rather dreary Friday so far. Hope the sun comes out later. It was rather humid here yesterday, a taste of summer for one day. Our summer has been that way this year.

ledom, I too will sometimes write something personal then change my mind and delete it. We are the same in that way.

judi, the big move is kind of scary, but as time grows nearer I am getting a bit excited. We're down to 5 weeks now. We are supposed to pass papers next Friday, 27th. But, because of hurricane Charley, the Title Co. who is doing the closing isn't up and running just yet, so hopefully we'll get the papers we have to sign in time. Glad that you had a good summer weather wise. Our's was a lot cooler than normal, which wasn't bad, but it rained most of the time. Cool, damp, and muggy is very uncomfortable.

Hi LaDean! Hope you had a good day yesterday.

Tomorrow is the date for our RE agent to start showing our house. Hopefully someone will show an interest in looking at it. We're getting down to the wire now in getting it all spiffied up. Only a few minor things to do today.

Have a great weekend.

Hey Girls,

That show about siamese cats sounds so funny. I know D and I would get a big kick out of it. When I was in the 6th grade I got my first siamese. I have had and loved many cat in my lifetime but somehow I always want a siamese. First off, I like short haired cats and they can fit that bill.

I agree on moving to a new place being a first class adventure. We are living vicariously through you Alice! I wish you a very smooth transistion.

Ah back to work today. I am sitting here w/ my bowl of vitamins. I have just ordered a bunch of vitamins and am trying to be faithul to taking them every morning. It is a job! It takes major effort on my part and longer than you might think to swallow all these horse pills! I have made it easy in one way though, they come divided out in little bags for each day so I don't have to remember how many of each one to take.

And now down to the basement to do my workout, no more dawdling for me! The work year has begun.

ledom, good luck to you on your first day back to work. Let us know how it went for you. I also take a lot of vitamins and it does take a long time to swallow them! Speaking of which, I've got to go and take mine.

HI, thanks to all of you. I loss 1 1/4 more lbs today. i am a happy one.
Aleka, i am still working on the amt of carbs a day. i know it said 60 so starting there and see if i gain. if not and still losing then add like 5 carbs at a time. if i gain on that amt then go down that many a time. its fun as i pay attention to what i eat now and all. wheres before never watched the labels to much. i have not gained since July 5th so this is good for me. got 8 to go.. then i will be there. so excited. i feel so good and got lots of energy.. i have the atkins kit which i love,. and his book that goes with it. then i have his other book. its very interesting to read up on it and all. I just hope and pray doing it that when i go back in my carbs, and trig/s especially are down. they should be with the wt loss. i have added corn on cob, allow me 2 at a time. ha then bread i am adding. taking it slow. the fruit to. very slowly with that. but potatoes have not gone to yet. ha they are my big weakness. but i will just do it said one group at time. so that is what i am doing.

I am so happy with everyone doing so good. thanks so much for sharing and the kind words. this keeps me going.. have a good weekend all of you. LaDean

LaDean, I am so pleased for you!!! You are doing great and are an inspiration. It sounds as if you are doing everything right.

Yesterday after I finished posting I went down to do my workout and was stunned to discover at least an inch of water in my basement. The night before we had 3.5" of rain in about 3 hrs. The basement has never flooded before! My workout did not happen. I had to leave as it was the first day of work but I worried about it all day. When I got home it had mostly drained out. I think I have some drain problems along w/ the extraordinary amount of rain! Hopefully the treadmill is ok, I am not going to plug it back in until some of the dampness has time to evaporate. Hopefully it wasn't deep enough to effect the motor. If it's not one thing.......

Anyway, I did do biceps when I got home but no cardio. I was WIPED OUT after sitting in meetings all day. Nothing is more tiring than that, especially when it isn't particularly interesting and you have been in the habit of an afternoon nap.

Well on to a brighter day. I have yoga this a.m., that is always a treat.

Oh yeah, I am having good success on my diet this week. I am down into the next "decade" of numbers - honestly, I think I weigh less than I have in 15-20 years. It is getting exciting!

A good Saturday morning,

ledom, LaDean congratulations on your weight loss that is really fantastic. You both are doing so well. Keep up the good work.

LaDean, I love corn on the cob. That is one of my favorite summer treats.
You will find a balance of carbs that is good for you. Have you had anymore blood work done since you've started Atkins?

Glad that the water drained out of your basement, ledom. What an awful thing to find first thing in the morning. We had that problem a couple of years after we had moved into this house. The problem was that the drain outside the house had filled up with leaves so that the water backed up into our basement. DH was away for the weekend at one of his trade shows, but had to cut his weekend short and come home. In the meantime I was vacuuming up water with his shop vac which is a wet/dry one. I was vacuuming about every 15-20 min. Our neighbor came down after DH got home and helped DH locate the problem and gave us some sort of cement to put on the concrete where the leak was and we haven't had a problem since. That is wise not to plug in the treadmill for awhile. I hope the motor wasn't damaged. Enjoy your yoga this morning.

Hey judi, how are you doing?

Enjoy your Saturday.

Ledom. how sad i hope the water has all drained out and never got anything not working. ha especially the tread mill. its one thing we need. ha

aleka,, no have not had any more blood work done. i will first of year again. i hope its all good. blood pressure sure is. i will go off the pills for it after i reach goal. but i went off the sugar for a year and everything blood work was so good. then back on it and a mess and worse. so i think that and watching carbs and losing will be all ok. Hope so..

Have a good weekend to all. tuffy says woof lacee....LaDean

Good Morning everyone!

We had rain for the first time in weeks this weekend. That is good because there is a water use ban on the island, we are OK though because we have our own well.

Sorry to hear about your basement being flooded. What a HUGE pain!! I hope your treadmill is OK. Ledom, that is great about your weight. Are you still saving to buy jewellery as a weight loss treat?

LaDean way to go on the weight loss. What a good job you are doing.

WW has now added a new plan, instead of daily point range and 30 flex points they changed the plan to be all you can eat of certain core food lists (and potatoes is on one of them, SHOCK) and 30 points in the week. I guess it is good for people who don't like to track points. I like tracking points. I also want to get away from the concept of "all you can eat" whether it is broccolli or peanuts...I think the "all you can eat" mindset makes you stuff yourself even when not hungry and that is bad. SOOO I am staying with the FLEX plan. I know it works if I work it.

Today I am beginning DAILY exercises (yeah, same resolution for the zillionth time but I am doing it anyway).

Alice, did you sell a lot of your things in preparation for the move? Or are you taking it all? When we built this house my DH (the dear pack rat) stored a lot of his stuff in storage and we paid a hundred bucks a month for a year and then when he went to look at it after a year he found he could throw practically all of it away as he didn't and wouldn't need it. Whereas I myself am a "collector" as a opposed to a "pack rat" I have been wanting to clean off my dresser top now for a few months I have a huge collection of make up, skin and hair products, perfume etc. and I only use a few bits. I have to throw some out because I don't have the space. I am always trying new stuff...the things I buy on impulse rarely work out but the things I buy because they have received a good product review in a magazine are always my best things. Hmmm, the first step in throwing out stuff is make a bag of it for the girl friend...see if she wants any...sometimes yes, ususally no because she should be making her own bag to throw out...after she has looked at the bag and refused it then take it ruthlessly to the trash can and don't be sad because most of it is still on the credit card CHUCK IT OUT!! So wish me luck that is my plan for TODAY I did my food pantry and my cupboards last week and they look great.

judi, thanks so much. oh that new plan of ww. i am like you i want to get away from eating all i want. i am doing good with this plan. but i had to is why. not much choice. i am enjoying finding new ideas and things to eat. today i tryed the strawberry cool whip on my sugar free jello. oh its so good. for ones that can eat the strawberries and all it would be good on those. i am watching alot of my fruit. as i can eating to much of it. so i am now working with the carbs trying to get an amt i can have and still not gain.. have left the potatoes out. but did have some corn on cob. but allowing myself 2 ears now down to one. i just bring that amt in and all. i now look at labels more and figure out what is low in them and all.

I want to wish everyone a good week. LaDean

[QUOTE=judi]
Today I am beginning DAILY exercises (yeah, same resolution for the zillionth time but I am doing it anyway).

judi, the lord knows quite a few of us have been there! I am proud of you for realizing the importance of exercise and not giving up even if it is a struggle.
I can't say it is easy, but it is doable and it makes SO much difference in how you feel and in your muscle tone.

Good luck with it. What are you planning to do? The thing to remember when you start is not to make it so unpleasant you never want to do it again. You can build on what you do as your body adjusts. And a variety of activities helps make it not so boring. Are there any yoga classes on the island? I think you would love it judi. Yoga has made me more aware of how good I can really feel.

LaDean, glad you are getting to enjoy your fresh corn! My source for fresh tomatoes has ended, I do still see them at the vegetable stands so I need to buy some while they are still around. I bought a watermelon yesterday from the back of a truck on the highway, the last one I bought at the store was too old.

Ya'll take care.

Good morning to all.
Ledom. i love watermellon. just have not bought it this year as i can not eat that much so would rather have none. ha ha that is just me. i was allowing 2 ears of corn but down to one now.. watching the carbs close. still want to lose rest of wt.to goal. just got 7.50 to go as of this morning. down 1.50 since friday. so i am a happy one. I am glad your doing good.

Judi, exercise is so very important as you know. i walk daily and love my exercise. is cooler now started raining so really going for it.

Good morning,

I just got back from having my hair done. I'm blonde again and got a much needed cut. During the summer I was letting it grow to put it in a pony tail, which is much cooler than having it hanging on my neck. I couldn't stand it anymore!!

judi, DH & I are collectors and pack rats. A lethal combination I'm sure. I have quite a lot of Boston Terrier stuff, statues, post cards, photos, etc. DH had an extensive beer collection, trays, posters, neons, etc., which he has slowly been getting rid of these past few years. We have sold quite a lot of things, but the majority has gone to Goodwill and/or St Vincent DePaul. Unfortunately, or fortunately, my girlfriend is also moving to FL sometime in the near future and she has started cleaning out her house. So, she didn't get anything of mine. I did give some stuff to another friend who summers here. We are taking down the bare minimum. I plan on getting new living room furniture when we get down there. Our living room set is old and worn, plus a certain party, who will remain nameless, chewed on the couch when she was a puppy, and I'm not talking about Shamrock...she was the good dog. How did your exercising go? I've heard that WW has come out with a new plan. I found the food list on the Prevention website, but don't know if it's accurate or not.

LaDean, congratulations on you diet. Glad it is working for you so well. Lacee says "WOOF" to Tuffy. DH & I had some fresh, local, ears of corn the other night. They were delicious.

ledom, have you plugged in your treadmill yet? If so, did it work alright? I read a post on another site re: exercising. That person said that once they stopped exercising to lose weight and started exercising for fun, they found they enjoyed it more and stuck with it. I think that is good advice. Have classes started yet or are you still having meetings and getting your lessons planned? My cousin's youngest child is starting her first year of college next week. It seems like yesterday I saw her sitting in a highchair being fed.

Hope you all have a great day.