Hi, All. Holly (I FINALLY got that that's your real name!), I'm so glad you're having a good day. Payday is always my favorite day too ! I know what you mean about having jobs that don't care about the labor laws. I'm fortunate at my current job where we can take our alloted breaks and then some, but I've worked at places where the bosses couldn't care less about whether we got our breaks or not. The bad thing is that if you say anything, you're seen as the "troublemaker." Hey, I say go for that sub! If they can break the rules, so can you! Congrats, also on resisting those goodies.

I'm on the lookout for a step (see my post under the Exercise forum). Boy, are those things expensive! If my question on the Exercise forum doesn't yield any different advice, I'll probably drive 45 minutes or so to Sports Authority after work and my the Original Club Step for $69. At least it does come with a step video, so I don't feel too guilty.

Anyway, I've managed to stay within my calories today and still remain satisfied. I may have a couple of ginger snaps tonight while I'm watching CSI, but right now I'm perfectly content.

Let's all try to stay on program this weekend!

good morning ladies!

yes, vmelo, my real name's Holly, but you can call me whatever you like I should be always thankful that I wasn't born a boy, as my parents told me I would then have been Hollister

Regarding steps...I had one I really liked, hard plastic with the legs that were adjustable to go from low to high...but eventually it cracked. Now I have one that is pretty unique (and it was cheap ) It is made of very dense foam, and is about 4-5" high. The only problem is that is is easily "kickable" so I have to be very careful in my foot placement, or there is the risk of a broken ankle. So I am VERY careful. We must have bought it from our local Ames store, when it was still in business.

Does anyone here ever have prepared dinners such as Lean Cuisine, etc.? I never have tried them, as I was determined not to eat "special" foods, to just try to have healthy foods in moderation, but I get exasperated with dealing with the husband's Atkins food ( there I go again ) I think I would like to have my own special meal, as he has his.

Have a great day, everyone! Do your exercise, drink your water, eat sensibly, think of summer!!

I had Lean Cuisene Sweedish Meatballs with Pasta for lunch yesterday. It was good. I went over my calories a little yesterday but I counted it. I have decided to set one day aside per week that I can have whatever I want, I think it will be Saturday. I will count it also. I will see how it works out.

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Good morning!

Thanks for the Lean Cuisine input, debbie. I'll check them out.

I have found something that does help me mentally when I think I'm hungry, and want to snack on something unnecessary...I tell myself, "I want to see that scale move down!!!" And I'm not allowing myself on the scale until next month, when I measure again. I hope this continues to help me.

I work today and tomorrow, from noon to 8:00 pm. Again, I have the problem of having to eat something right before work, in the hopes that it will hold me until I get home, 'cause I don't always get the chance to have a sandwich, and the evil cookies are are always available. Wish me strength!

I already did my exercise for today, a tape, and tried extra hard. I really want to see some positive changes in a month!

Well, I hope you all have a great day!

How is everyone doing today. I just wanted to say that I allowed myself to have a day off from my eating program Saturday. I was scared to do it because I was afraid that I would not get back on track. I am proud to say that I did get back on track Sunday with no problems. I am still not weighing myself, I am going to wait another week before I do. If I don't see any results then I am considering dropping my fat grams some more.

VermontMom did you try the Lean Cusine yet. This weekend I went through my "Light and Tasty" magazines and picked out some recipes that my family and I will like and wrote the name of the recipes on the front of the magazines so that when I want to cook something in it I won't have to go through all the magazines to find the recipe that I want. Have any of you seen these magazines. They are great.

Hello all

Well, my visit with my dad wasn't all bad food wise. I did enjoy some things I wouldn't have otherwise but I think I actually LOST some weight while he was here! Probably all the running around... the man doesn't sit still! We were constantly going somewhere or doing something.

Today is my first day attempting the diet (yet again). So far so good.. its 5:30pm and I'm just under 900 calories. I haven't had dinner yet though. But, we did have a late lunch so I'm not even hungry yet. My husband is out at an interview so when he gets home we'll have some dinner. A late dinner means less late night snacking so I think I'll have no problem keeping it under 1600 today! We rented a movie so maybe some popcorn for snackin'... that's always a good lowcal choice. Now to do that EVERY day!

The treadmill is still living in my garage. I think I'll ask my husband to help me drag it in this week. That will make all the difference I'm sure.

Anyway, I'm going to start my stats fresh since I'm starting over today. I'll admit to the numbers.

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Christine
181/181/130

Well, I made it through 'Day 1' once again. I ended yesterday at 1440 calories. On to Day 2... we'll see how it goes!


Christine
181/181/130

hello...

I am new to the group and am doing it the onld fashioned way too!! Glad to see im not the only one! Hope its ok if i join in here too

Hello, all. Welcome, ToryW. I’m relatively new too (only been posting for about a month or so). This is a good source for information and support, so enjoy!

Congrats on getting back on track, Debbie. Do you find that having that day off helps you or do you tend to focus on that one day? I’ve tried that strategy of a “day off” once a week, but I found that all I did all week was look forward to that day off! Good luck with it.

Holly, I pity you with that noon – 8 schedule. I eat a mid-afternoon snack and am still starving when I get home at 5:30. I give you a lot of credit; you must be famished by the time you get off work. As far as the Lean Cuisine’s go, some people like them, but I don’t. I generally try to stay away form processed foods like that. They seem to contain lots of sodium and other yucky chemicals. I did try a microwave meal put out by Cascadia Farms. They’re an organic food company, so you can pronounce what they put in their foods! Anyway, the two meals I’ve seen by them are a chicken herb vegetable w/ rice and chicken teriyaki w/ rice. Both have about 240 calories each. I found them in my local ShopRite (don’t know if you have this grocery store where you live) and they were regularly priced at 1.49 each. Oh, and they taste pretty good too! 

I’ve been on what I consider to be maintenance calories (1700-1900) this past week. I was experiencing major PMS hunger pains and have been a little down in dumps too. I’m not stressing too much about the increase in calories though. I know that I’ll go back to eating “losing” calories (1500) in a couple of days when I’m ready.

I hope everyone has a great, on-program day!

vmelo,

I was scared to take a day off from my eating plan but I did well with it. I got right back on schedule the next day and have been since.

toryw, we would be glad to have you join us. Were all in the same boat.

Silence, Sounds like you are doing very well.

I am at work and some mean person is cooking a pizza and it really smells good. I AM NOT GOING TO EAT ANY OF IT,(I say to myself). I don't have enough calories left for the day so I am not eating any of it.

Hope everyone is doing OK.

Hey everyone! I have been so busy here...but I am taking a break to say hello. I am going to be leaving shortly to go to a fellow dancer's home to practice. We are performing a sword balancing duet in a big club April 3rd...and have a 3 hour practice today...so obviously I have one heck of a workout in store. I am performing in other group numbers for this event...but this part is for a 'starring role."
I am also making our costumes for this piece...and have been working on those this week. I just finished both of our pants. now on to the midriff length coats...
I have been doing great diet and exercise wise...been too busy to cheat! I also just got my tix to see Prince in concert next month for his first tour in AGES. I can't wait...I am a "lifer" fan...like since he did disco in the late 70's. Great seats too, BTW.
Holly-I utilize Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice meals a couple times a week. I prefer them over the Weight Watchers brand meals. They just taste better to me. Most of the time I try to cook healthy...but on the occasion where DH wants something fattening like fried chicken or something...I will make it for him and nuke myself a little entree and then we both eat the veggies or something the same as a side. In the Lean Cuisine-the swedish meatballs, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, and the pizzas are pretty good.
Well..I best get going. I need to change into dance gear and get the kids loaded up...she has little ones as well, so they have a playdate while we practice.
Aphil

Hello everyone!

Welcome, toryw, you surely are welcome here. Looking forward to getting to know you!

Thank you debbie and aphil for the input on the "diet" dinners. Next time I'm at the store, I'll check 'em out.

aphil, I wondered what you did with your children when you had practices; it's nice when your friends have kids close to the same ages, so they can play together.

hi Christine and vmelo!

I'm still plugging away at tackling the BIG issue for me of the easy-to-grab food at work. It's become a big issue, as the job is wearing me down and I'm pretty irritated at the lack of concern/attention about us workers just getting 5 minutes to wolf down a sandwich (IF we're lucky), or feeling that's it's OK to spend more than literally one minute in the bathroom So I have these angry feelings, then it's made worse by being stuck at the register or the deli for an hour non-stop, knowing that I just can't get away. OKAY, I'm done whining and complaining I'm only there until the end of April, that's less than two months away!!!

Three days ago, I had my first ever sports injury, so to speak I decided to do a tape, but went from the 5 pounds dumbbells to some 8 pounders...did something to my left shoulder, and had to eat ibuprofen for about a day and a half. I took two days off of exercising, which is okay. Today the shoulder felt good, so I did a Gilad tape, but with no weights. Still feel good, so I'll be careful in the future with building up poundage of dumbbells.

Got out on the motorcycle today, felt great!! The sun was shining at first, which makes 40 degrees okay, but then the sun slipped behind thick clouds, and it got pretty chilly. But I had a huge grin on the whole time, and it was wonderful. Got lots of "thumbs up" from fellow riders who were in "cages" (( that's a biker term for a car or truck ) We've had alot of snow melt in the past week, but still a lot to go. And typically we get some of our biggest dumps of snow in March...like the 18" falls of heavy, wet snow. Come on , spring!!!!!!

Hey, ladies who are lost...tryin'hard? KC? Idealperson? missymont? Kina? Kanola? willbe? jacklyn? and I know Snowey isn't lost, you're close by But the others, I miss you!

VermontMom,

Be careful with that shoulder if it's a pulled muscle. I used to teach aerobics for years. Doctors tell you to rest a pulled muscle for 2 weeks and I found out that if you don't it takes forever to heal.

debbie - yikes! thank you for the info...how do I tell if it's a pulled muscle? It's still slightly sore, but nothing compared to how it hurt two days ago.

Hi gang

Holly~~ you always know I am here I should post more I know, but sometimes I feel as if I don't have much to contribute, but I read daily.

I have stepped up my exercising quite a bit( I get to use all the equipment at work) and I am determined to make this exercising a habit. I also have been walking alot (take the hubby for a walk) . I did have a nasty fall on the ice last week while walking to work one morning...ouch....talk about a sore butt!! I need to be careful after all I am in my "BREAK A HIP YEARS " !!!!!!
My weight loss is slow. I am averaging a pound a week , so now I am at 12 pounds.. well I was anyway until I got attacked by a gang of chocalate Teddy Grahams !!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is WI and I am debating whether to go or not as TOM should be here and with the Teddy Grahams that have invaded my body , I think I may be up...and we all know what a rise in numbers on the scale can do to ones attitude. So if I dont see it,,, I wont let it get to me...

Holly~~ So sorry to hear about your injury, do be careful and make sure you ice that first,,then heat second. I am feeling the effects of doing too much on the weight machines at work also. Glad you were feeling better and able to go out on the bike!

Amy~~ When are you going to post some pics of you and your outfits? We would love to see them for sure. I envy you and all the energy you have!!!!!

Christine~~ Did you get the treadmill dusted off yet?

And a big hello to everyone else and the new girls also !!!

Well I am gonna get into the shower and go watch a movie with hubby and call it a night.

Oh yeah,, I am still trying to add my pic with my shorthair onto the site,, but cant figure how to add it onto a post...anyone know how????

Ok,,, night night all... have a great Thursday,,
and by all means beware of those evil Teddy Grahams with the perky innocent little smiles on their cute little chocalate faces .


Nancy