Morning all, Penny was right - I got my wished for snow. There's about 6" on the ground here and loads more at the ski area. Saturday and Monday are ski days - I warned DH. This morning's walk was quite a bit harder. Trudging through the snow is much more work. Good for the legs.

Driving to work on the other hand was tricky. Oregon doesn't maintain their roads in the winter. Occasionally they'll plow, but no salt to make the ice go away. Makes for non-rusty cars but many more dents. I took it slow and easy so there weren't any problems.

Juls, have a great time with the grandkids. Have a very merry Christmas.

Carol, Penny, and Judy - have a fantastic day. Now I should work.
Marie

Juls, I hope you have a blast in Sydney! I know that your grandkids will be thrilled to see you.

Marie, have fun in the snow, better you than me! I would be up for a strong challenge, but I would need weekly or monthly behavioral mini-goals so as not to get too discouraged. My supermicro-mini goal is to not eat any of the liquor-filled candies in the back of the office I have indulged every day this week, but not today! Instead I've been drowning my desire in mint tea, which I'm getting heartily sick of.

So far today I've been on program. I did a cardio workout this morning, had oatmeal for b'fast, half an apple and a string cheese for a snack, and a handful of trail mix before going to a lunch meeting. the person I met with commented on my weight loss (I last saw her a few months ago). I had a cup of butternut squash soup and a chopped salad with shrimp for a late lunch, and later half an orange pepper to snack on. I'm having one of my last bits of steak from the freezer for dinner tonight.

I've just signed up for a second seminar for first-time homebuyers, so I guess I'm serious about this idea! And a little intimidated. This is one of those situations where I wish I had a hubby or partner, to help with big decisions. If dithering over choices burned calories, I would be inching my ticker down every week....

judy

Judy, I love the idea of dithering causing cal loss. You're too funny. Good for you on the micro-goal. It surely is a one day at a time thing. My micro goal is no snacking this morning. None, nothing, nada. Then I can have the lunch I brought (pasta on the higher cal side). If I snack, I don't get the whole thing. So I defintely understand the hourly, microm-minute fight.

Today it is sunny and cold. First non-cloudy day in about 8 days. It's gorgeous out. The snow is scheduled to return tomorrow night and that's cool too. There's quite a bit on the ground. Very wintry and Christmas-y. Even my scrooge personality is getting holiday spirit. I finished shopping yesterday for the groceries and stocking stuffers and the doggie gifts. Can you believe it - I almost forgot to go to the pet store. Luckily it was next to the grocery and their big sign poked my memory. Although DH let them see their monster sized rawhide bone - so much for surprising them.

I took the pups out this morning - even the dirt roads were icy. Probably wasn't a great choice to go, but they're so cute. No aerobics as I had to walk very carefully. Maybe a little WATP after work. And skiing tomorrow morning.

Carol, Judy, Penny and Juls. Have the very best Christmas ever!!!
Marie

Judy - Thanks for the pep-talk - I needed it! I promise I'll keep a 'stiff upper lip' (probably better to just zip my lip when temptation arises! ) It's a good idea to get as much info as you can before deciding whether to buy a home - there's so much to know and 'forewarned is forearmed' as they say. Your food choices sound delicious and healthy! I like your idea of supermicro-mini goals. Those little liquor chocolates can be so more-ish! .

Juls - I hope you have a wonderful time with your family in Sydney. You're right, our scales do need a vacation! I'd like to send mine somewhere very hot!

Marie - I bet you're in a winter wonderland right now . I wish we'd get more snow up here, but I think it's very rare for Portland to have a white Christmas. I wish you sunny skies and fresh powder! I hope you hide the dogs' gifts well, probably best not under the tree! That's so funny how your DH couldn't resist showing them.

Carol - I hope everything is going well for you & your hubby.

Our poor DS is sick with the flu and has been off work for 3 days. Good thing he wasn't set to fly up here tomorrow as he probably couldn't do so as he has bronchitis. I wish I could email him some chicken soup! He's supposed to work on Monday, so hopefully it will be a quiet day as most of his coworkers will have the day off.

There's just so many temptations around, so I thought it would be handy to have a Jiminy Cricket on my shoulder for my "Official Conscience" this time of year . Here he is (just in case you need to borrow him):

Girls life will slow down a bit soon with the holidays creeping up so ever fast I have been so off tune here. But things are going well I think my wt is staying where it was before the season so thats okay with me. I am wearing my smaller sized clothes and especially now to remind myself to still fit in the I need to becareful. I have the time off till thurs after christmas when I rtn to work. Its nice yesterday the hubby and I shopped a little and then we visted my SIL's grandson at his college dropped of his presents and cookies and hung out for awhile. It was good for him and all of us too. Nice family time. Still finishing up the last few min. stocking stuffers today then going to sew the requested nightgowns for the GD's. Tonight I will not be on prog. at all christmas gathering with pizza and wings. Oh well its not something we do daily so I will enjoy.
Marie glad yah got the snow keep it. We still have enough base here for skiing and a white christmas but the temp is going to 58 on sunday crazy huh for NY.Then as far as I am concerned it can stay your way for skiing. Enjoy I also read in the winter if we walk outside we burn more cals to stay warm and heavier clothes makes our bodies also work a bit harder good to know huh?
Juls enjoy your time with the family sounds lovely.
Judy glad your serious about a house. Mine is almost paid off in two more years 2010 I can't wait. Make sure you ck the difference between a 20 yr. 15 yr. etc. morg. We did a 15 and I have never regreted it and now we are almost done. The difference back then was about 45 a month I figured if I couldn't afford that guess I shouldn't be buying it to start with. Never regretted that at all. Now super happy I did it. Good luck and how nice this will be even a 2 family isn't so bad and let them make your morg. payment but that comes with fixing things etc... Oh well enjoy cking it out.
Penny wow time goes by so fast bet many folks are enjoying your soaps. My director at work said she yelled at the hubby for using hers she could smell it on him. Hah hah lavender vanilla with a hint of lime. Sorry he is sick at christmas thats just the pits. I will never forget the yr. my daughter had it around the age of 10 didn't even want to open presents it was not nice hope by christmas he is feeling better. Jimmy is cute between him and my tighter pair of pants I got my reminders for today!!! Hubby is getting back to normal. I can't wait to see his face when he see's the kayak all wrapped in newspapers with a red bow sitting in the front yard. The kids will bring it over in the afternoon so we can exchange gifts. In the a.m. we are going for a lovely no cal. breakfast at my SIL and DD house it is a feast. Then go see the other DD house and DG presents and tree in the afternoon they will stop in for a very casual dinner by mom and open stockings and have a few presents here. Well take care and may santa be good to all of you good friends. Talk to you soon.

Happy winter everyone. It's snowing again. DH and I had a blast at the ski park. We got our season passes and did about 8 runs, then came home. My legs are a little tired but got lots of other stuff done to. After 1.5 runs, I got my mojo back. Swish.... Down I went with gusto and no fear. It's like the curtain lifted. The two accidents this year had made me cautious and timid which is more dangerous than going with gusto. It was weird, just like I let the fear and all the pain from the two accidents go. I feel normal again. So I had a blast. Last week was fun but the fear had nagged me. Not today. We're going back on Monday morning. DS2 plans to join us. BTW he's the one that put my Eclipse about 70 feet in a neighbors yard from driving too fast on icy roads. DH had to winch him out after we got back. DH wasn't pleased whatsoever.

Carol, I'm very glad your DH is feeling better. That kayak will be a great present. I thought of you yesterday - it's snowing and I'm driving on icy roads and a truck is stopped at a stop light next to me - on it is a big yellow kayak. I thought of you and decided the guy was nuts as this isn't the time of year for kayaking. How is your SIL doing a lovely no cal breakfast???

Penny, it wasn't sunny but it was great powder. I liked the groomed runs and the conditions were perfect. I'm thinking ll the other skiers/snowboarders were last minute Christmas shopping as we got to ski straight up to the lift. Absolutely no lines. Heaven, I swear.

DS1 really likes his new job. I just spoke with him and he paid the deposit and rent on a house. So they have a place to live. He and DGS might come out tomorrow for football, but he's not sure since the roads are like a skating rink.

Well, I will chat more tomorrow.
Marie

Marie keep that snow honey! We have the weather in the 50's very unseasonable for us here. Still white stuff packed in the yard the driveway is a sheet of ice. I was really naughty yesterday with eating cheeses, and wings one piece of pizza. Then a few cookies oh well tis the season. It will all be over soon and it only comes once a year. I am almost done wrapping the gkids are coming over today one is staying over. Haven't done that in months. Kind of fun I think. Well I made lasagna for christmas today all set to just bake a ham that day and some scalloped potatoes, veggie and salad. Not too many for dinner but we will all be together on the eve and in the a.m. for breakfast it will be a relaxing day to sit back and say hey we did it again. Then start picking things up for next year. We had our christmas with our good friends last night and exchanged gifts and wine. It was a pleasant time. My SIL will be going to her families house on christmas eve and christmas day. She is doing well and really gets into buying for everyone. Bear ruined his toy already one of many he just pulls the cotton out crazy pup.
Well have a good one and enjoy christmas.

The big day's almost here!

I finished celebrating my b'day week with a facial on Friday, and got my hair done on Saturday. Gift shopping is almost done (I'm literally buying a TV after my bro picks me up at the airport tomorrow), and I've just finished with laundry, so now all I have to do is pack, pay bills and put my donation checks in the mail. I will have sporadic access to the internet, at best, until New Year's Day, but I will check in when I can. Today's weight is 223 and it's not very likely that I will lose much while I'm away, so my goal is to maintain by making good choices and working out. I did a short cardio workout this morning, and am heading down to the ExBike after I finish this message.

I'm glad to hear that everyone is doing well! I hope that the New Year brings some of our other chickies back, rarin' to go! Marie, Carol, Penny and Jules, thanks for being there these past few months. I can't imagine that I would have survived this fall, especially, with all the stress, travel and limping, and not have gained a bunch of weight back, without your steady voices on this thread. Thanks !

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday. I'll stop in when I can!

judy

Carol - It's nice your DH was able to go shopping with you. It sounds like you've got a busy holiday coming up. Have fun with your family, especially the grandkids. Your DH is sure going to get a surprise with the kayak - that's an inventive way of wrapping it!

Marie - I'm glad you had such a great time skiing. I hope you had a nice time with your DGS. It must be a relief that your DS1 likes his job and has already found a place to live. We may possibly get a sprinkling of snow on Christmas Day!

Judy - You've given me lots of encouragement too with your positive attitude. I admire how you've hung in there exercising and making good food choices even though it's been difficult as you've been on the road so much. It's tough when we don't see the results we'd like but we never give up, do we? Hopefully 2008 will be a breakthrough year for us and we can start to see some lower numbers on the scale.

Juls - I hope you're having a bonzer time with your family in Sydney!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas! . May your day be merry and bright!

Happy Day After Christmas to Everyone.

I hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful. We had a very nice one. I already broke one of my presents. DH gave me a pedometer (very wanted) and it flipped off my waistband and splashed. I think that I will give exchanging it a try as it shouldn't have come off so easily.

I'm back at work and don't want to be here. Ok, I rarely every want to be here but today is worse since I loved my 4 day weekend. Luckily I get another one starting Friday afternoon. I am leaving early today to have a hair weave. I love that pampering.

Well the eating season is done for me. I'm back on my diet. I have 5 months till the 2 yr anniversary since I started losing weight. And as I haven't really lost any in the last year, it's time. So my goal for April 25th is a bit different. I WILL track everything. I WILL then put all the calories in my database. I WILL average 1600 cals a day during this 5 month period. I WILL NOT weigh myself. Healthy eating and fitness is the goal and losing weight is secondary. So far today I'm doing good. Usually after the first day I'm easily on track and mornings are my downfall. I made it through the morning of day 1 and all should be good. I overate yesterday so much my stomach hurt. I'm not doing that again. So I WILL be healthy!

Oh, I did a 3 mile WATP this morning.

Hope everyone is okay.
Marie

Well girls its almost a new year think we need some new goals? I am going to think hard on mine so I can make some good changes and meet them the best I can. I am off to HI in March towards the end of the month so I need to get in shape. I started to walk again yesterday at the lake with Mr. Bear. We got in a good 50 min. which was a start to success. I am trying to stay out of the sweets christmas left behind. Got to work and there was a nice gift from a client of course my favorite choc. stores peanut santas. But so far so good stayed out of them. But had a few peanut mm's after dinner. Back to the nothing to eat after 7 pm. So a few things I am working on before setting my real goals. Sorry I have been MIA here I am going to be better about being here on this site as it is my success in the long run. To keep track on the good changes and lifestyle long run changes I need to have. So hang in there we can do it.
Christmas was nice kind of quiet but in a good way I guess. Anyways our weather sure was super. We have had it in the 40's today and no snow but still leftovers from before. Bear and I were careful on our walk and didn't do the whole lake as it was muddy and icy. Gym day is friday. So I am making some good choices.
Marie I am with yah girl we can do this all of us. I need to track as well cause when we don't the little devil gets the best of us. Funny we should both decide this is it must be we have had our fill of junk foods except my mm's of course at least they are part healthy. Well take care and lets get it moving and grooving for the new year I agree its way overdue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Start of the year 2008 with some positive changes ones we can reach out and make a routine in our daily living.

Good morning all I said its time to buckle down and get back on track and wow I am really going to make an effort to be in control. This a.m. I had a raisin english muffin with a little jam no butter. Then one boiled egg and blk coffee. I have packed my water and plan on buying a salad for lunch. Dinner I am making homemade pizza no pepperoni plans on my side just veggies sauce and a bit of cheese and a side salad of my choices. Its time to get this ball on the road. Oh my snacks today I have preplanned a fiberone bar for a snack this a.m. around 10 as I eat breakfast so early, then my afternoon snack will be a nice orange after dinner a nice glass of red wine. Trying not to eat after 7 is tough I think I am going to say 7:30 and work my way to 7. Hah hah! Gotta get this thing moving many folks say they are starting after the first why wait? Best to start now then take off the eve and the new years day and jump back on.I am packed up for the gym as well and going to cut out of work a tad bit early to get there before everyone else. I feel so much more in control between the hubbies issues earlier on and stress etc. now its time for Carol and whats important to me and thats getting back into shape!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HI here I come and will be feeling great when I do. Wouldn't it be great to just feel so in control all the time and not have our slip up times? Oh what a great feeling that would be. So my new goal here it is I am going to do something daily for myself to feel in control, try my best to eat well and exercise on a regular basis. I am not putting a lb. amt. that I will lose as I know if I do all the above things that is going follow. Having a number sometimes is too stressful and when I don't see it happening makes me binge or upset so for me I am trying this new method say a prayer for me that it works. I will be in control. I am going to wake up and tell myself that daily and when I go to bed say it to myself again maybe after enough times it will come true and I will be in the driverseat. Attitude is good got to do this!!! Hope your all off to a great start to day! I will keep posting as part of my starting off on the right foot.

Marie - I'm on board with you for a healthy 2008! I'll still be weighing myself, but will try to do so less often.

Carol - I'm glad to hear you're feeling so motivated. I'm also starting to eat healthier right away and not waiting till the 1st. I felt so bloated with all the rich foods over Christmas, so it's a relief to start eating healthier again.

Judy & Juls - I hope your holidays were terrific and look forward to hearing from you.

I've come to the conclusion that I MUST keep a food journal. I slacked off in that regard and have now paid the price of gaining 9 lbs. from my low weight last September. I just read an interesting article in Good Housekeeping that a study recently came out saying that keeping a food journal is the number one best way to lose weight and keep it off - no matter what diet you are on. I know this works for me and I already feel so much more in control since I started keeping track in my Spark People journal again . It also helps me to keep track of how much protein I'm eating, and I know I haven't been eating enough protein for quite a while. I will also be very honest and put down every little snack. No more cheating . Since my foot isn't very reliable for long walks I'm going to dust off the treadmill and use it more often .

I think we'll ALL do GREAT in 2008! We're motivated and we know we CAN eat healthy and delicious food and even lose some weight in the process!

I also read that info. in the same place Penny see we are all tuned in together. Yes having a food journal makes a lot of sense and I am starting one on sunday. The preplanning sure seems to make help me but the documenting on paper helps too. One doesn't replace the other it is all important. Well take care and enjoy your weekend.

Hi all, well day 3 of logging my food and staying in the 1600 cal range is going good. I've been more like 1450 but since the goal is an average of 1600 over 5 months, being lower helps deflect the naughty days.

Today is Blizzard's Birthday. My doggie is 7 years old. Still a puppy at heart but with hips of a 20 year old dog (she has severe hip dysplasia and arthritis). She's the reason I'm obsessive about walking her often. Keeps her limber. I took her out in the snow for her walk before work.

We were going to go to Reno to help DS1 move but his car broke down right outside of Reno as he was coming back here. So DH and DS2 took the Durango and will tow him back to his house then bring him back here. DS1 and almost DIL will drive her car tomorrow, no longer needing us to drive it. So poor DH got stuck with a 10 hr round trip on snowy roads. Me, I'm at home surfing. Bad me... At least I did the bills while he's gone. Because the weened plans changed I don't know when we'll be going skiing. Maybe on Sunday.

Carol and Penny, I'm totally on board with the logging. Since I started on Wednesday, snacking hasn't been nearly the control of my life. I'm putting everything in my mobile phone diet program. I set it on my desk at work and it reminds me that I'd have to log if I eat.

Wel,, I'm pooped and am going to give Blizzard another birthday kiss. I just love my doggies.
Marie