HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Tashabella, I wasn't on here when you were here before but a big welcome to you! I hope to get to know you better in the coming days.

Toni, I'm with you. Perfectionism is something I have to work on too. I give up too easily when things don't go my way. I think I could become an obsessive complusive type person very easily. It's something I'm going to work on in the new year.

Sandy, great NSV getting past all that food that was so tempting while out shopping with your dad.

Val, I wonder why we got to be the perfectionist that we've become? Why did we feel we needed to strive to be perfect? Is it something we learned when we were growing up or something that was just within us all the time?
Sounds like you are doing outstanding on staying OP. Yay for you on actually making the effort to eat the right ways and getting rid of the junk that came with it. You're a strong lady!!
I loved your entry in your journal when you first started it. I really like the part about it's something we wear, and not who we are.

Catherine, so true so true

Sharon, how did the buffet go? Did you make some things so you could eat and stay OP??? Happy New Year to you to!

Debi, O I bet you should of gotten the next size down!!! I know you're going to be smaller than you are now by then. WOOHOO!!!!

Annie, I didn't know you could be near perfect weight and still be all fat. That's really something to think about and make the right decisions in eating so something like that doesn't happen along the way. I love hearing what you've learned at your meetings. Very interesting.
We didn't get too much snow but he road to our house is very scary still!!

Carol, nothing to be humiliated about....I've put on about 30lbs and I'm not afraid to admit it because I KNOW this year I'm going to lose lots. There's no doubt in my mind. We can do this kiddo!!

Cyn, have fun hiking!! What a thrill just to know that you can do it!!

Mimi, looks to me like you've got yourself very achievable goals. I wish you all the best in this bright new year.

Angie, sounds like you've got yourself on track and in the groove and off to a great start!

Last night we went to the Eagles club for a very fun night of karaoke and our neighbor's band playing. They gave out party hats and favors, had a nice buffet and great company. It was about 12:30 when they told us they wanted to close the club because there had been a shooting up the street at one of the bars. It sure put a damper on our evening since we are such a small town and something like this happened. It seems to be happening more and more lately. Not too long ago, in another little town just north of us, there was a man on a rampage and he killed several people. It just makes you wonder what gets into them that they feel so much rage and have to go out and kill someone. Just in the last couple of years, our town has become the bar scene, with over 11 bars in town. We don't have any traffic signals on the main street in town and it's only about 4 blocks long. The bars bring in all the riff raff from other towns and cities and they think they can come to our town and mess it up and leave it behind. The town council has been having meetings on gangs too, which I didn't ever think I would see here. It's just a shame. I wish they would put that hate into something productive.
Well, with that said, the night was fun overall except for that and I'm ready to get on with the new year and make all my goals a reality. I'm really excited for the BLC and seeing how we are all going to shrink as the year goes on.

Debbie

Happy New Year Everyone! January 1st today and I feel sooooo very full of hope.

Debi: Yipee to getting a dress you love for the wedding. I can't wait to see you in it.

Val: Hi sweetie, here's to better days ahead for us all.

Anne: Thank you for telling me the proper term of "skinny fat". I have never heard of such a thing and I was amazed.

Americaninuk: Glad that you are back with us. Sorry that you were so sad over the holidays. I can feel for you. We don't have any family around either and it is sad. Hugs.

Purple: I hope that you can get the Wii Fit soon. I have horrid balance since loosing weight. I don't think my body is exactly caught up to my weight loss yet. I am looking forward to spending more time on it this year. The machnie I was talking about is probably very expensive. My Dr. charges $65 per time. They recommend at least once per year.

Carol: Hugs to you on the weight gain. I know unfortunately that I will be posting one probably for sure on Sunday's challenge. I am dreading that part but I need to look to the future as I know you are. Hugs.

Cyn: How was the snow play and hiking?

Toni: I think I will try to do a pillow case or two this year. I love to embroider so maybe that is something I can make special for my sisters for Christmas next year.

Mimi: Hugs. I am soooo happy to see you back. I have been praying for you every day and hope you are okay. Any news yet from the Dr. hon?

Angie: Yipee to almost being out of the morbidly obese catagory! I am so happy for you and proud of you.

Catherine: I hear ya on getting organized. I did a bit of that myself today. I went through our filing cabinet and pulled out all of the things I can shred and redid the files. It is something I do every first of the year and I feel so much better after it is done. Tomorrow we, DH and I, will be moving our computer room around to accomodate the wall heater. We don't use it but it is really chilly in this room and I need to make sure that when we have company we can use the heater.

Tasha: Hi there sweetie. I am so thrilled to see you back. I hope you hang around as much as you can. So sorry about your diagnosis but I think loosing as much extra weight off of your body will be the best thing to do for yourself. ugs and welcome back.

Debbie: I am so sorry that your fun was cut short last night. Bummer. I'm glad that you had a good time up until that time though. You are so sweet and such a special lady. You deserve the very best. Hugs to you.

Well, I am sadly off to bed. I have to work tomorrow then I have the weekend off. I am planning on making tomorrow very active and getting lots of things done. DH and I are going to be going to a new church on Sunday and I am so excited about it.

Blessings and hugs,
Annie

Dgramie So glad you had such a great time shopping. I can't wait til I get down there with ya. You got to go to "regular" stores/shops. That has to feel good.


Anne What a cool way to get really beautiful geraniums. I love their hardiness and bright colors. How big will they by April/May? Maybe I could start some. I don't know if we'll still be in our house in April/May, but I can always put them in a window box or patio pots. Please let me know how quickly they grow.


Americaninuk I too am looking forward to this new year to get myself back op and much healthier. I'm sorry you miss your family so much. Consider yourself around family here on this site.


Ally Hope you had a good work out. I'm proud of you for getting right on it today.


Purpleorc, I understand about using a whole day's worth of calories on junk. It's so easy to do just that. I love coffee, but don't necessarily like something special with it. A good cup of coffee is a treat in itself for me. Chocolate on the other hand, I basically can't have it in the house or I'll eat all of it. It's terrible.


Carol Hang tough! You'll be back where you want to be before your cruise. Where are you going on your cruise? And, it's good to see have a plan to exercise everyday while you're there. You'll be ok.

Cyn Hope you had a great time in Flagstaff. I'll bet it was beautiful there.


Mimi I too feel 2008 was a difficult year. Sadly, my family has had 3 bad years in a row. But, must say at the same time, we have a lot in which we're grateful. My family has a modicum of health and most of us truly love each other and are secure in our loyalty to each other. Material things come and go, but the security of being in a loving family is the most rewarding and comforting thing I know.


Angie Congrats on your weigh in today!


Tashabella I'm glad to meet you. It sounds like we have a lot in common health wise. I've been on a diuretic for awhile now, and it's helped my blood pressure a lot. In August, my dr said I was borderline diabetic and put me on metformen. (sp) Not a fun drug. It makes me sick to my stomach when I don't remember to take it with food. And, I hate breakfast, so I'm still adjusting to that. I've tried to take just half the dose I was prescribed, but then my sugar shoots too high. I guess I'm more than borderline, huh?


Annie, I didn't know your bmi could be too high even if you were at goal weight. That's weird, but I'm glad you told us. It proves to me that I have to me that I have to exercise or I'll end up like that too, and I HATE FLAB! Please keep sharing what you learn.


Hi Debbie! I'm glad you got home safely after the shooting near your Eagle's Club. We have a lot more violent crimes here too. And it used to be such a great, quiet place. Makes me wonder if it has something to do with the horrid economy in the US. I'm looking forward to the BLC too. I never participated in it before when I was here.


Annie, Debi, Sharon and everyone else, Hello and Hugs!


I too am excited about 2009. It's a fresh start and I have lots of new stuff going on. I start my second semester of school on January 13th, I'm gonna participate in the BLC here, I've already finished several aprons for family for next Christmas, and, today, is another op day!!!
I too have to get my life organized. Tomorrow I will finish off the remaining aprons and mending, and either organize and catalog new files for this year, school etc or clean the garage. Both need to be done before school resumes. After that, I want to start packing our house for whenever we have to move.
I just wanted to mention something I've discovered. I have found that when my house is well organized and reasonably clean, I stay op much, much easier. I don't know why, but thought it may help others.
Well, I think I'm actually a bit hungry, so I'm going to go clean up some veggies to snack on while I watch some tv with my hubby.
I also want to thank all of you for being so loyal and supportive. This journey can be overwhelming sometimes, and it's so good to have all of you by my side.

Hope everyone had a great New Years. Just wanted to post briefly before I head to bed.

I am lacking motivation in many areas (not just health-wise) so that is my main focus right now. Not to find motivation, because I know that more often than not, motivation won't be there or won't be enough. But, to keep going even when the motivation is gone.

Today, I didn't want to exercise. I kept thinking I can start tomorrow. I can do this another day. Repeat ad nauseum. Except I know that each time I have said I can do it tomorrow, tomorrow comes and I've not done it, nor do I have any intention of it. I had a similar talk with myself today, and I even went so far as to use the holiday as an excuse. Who needs to walk on a holiday?! Holidays are for family! But, I realized I was only following the same path I have walked for far too long.

So today I purposely got up, got out my WATP DVD and put it in, even while still trying to talk myself out of it, and my inner child stomped her feet. Needless to say, I finished my target of 15 minutes. And you know what? That inner child was still stomping her feet along the way.. and probably always will. But I still got it done.. tantrum or not. I've found out it's much harder to say I'll do it tomorrow when I just get up and put it in, and turn it on.

My hope for all of you for 2009 is that everyone here has the strength and determination to just get up and do it, even when motivation is no longer there, or no longer enough.

Debbie - thanks honey for the kind words. I like doable goals. No sense in setting myself up for disappointment due to too-high expectations.

Annie - thanks for the prayers dear. I appreciate you keeping me in mind. Biopsy came back inconclusive...now I wait 3 months.

Sandy - yeah, a loving family you can count on is indeed a blessing. I'm happy for you that you have that.

BrandNewMe - CONGRATULATIONS on making yourself work out. I have to deal with my inner child's resistance on a consistent basis. When she is sad, upset, angry, feeling abandoned she tends to seek comfort in binge eating. Part of my eating disorders recovery process involves making sure my inner kid gets lots of love, comfort and loving attention. When she's happy, I don't have the desire to binge or eat when I'm not hungry. So, I have developed some strategies. When she doesn't feel like working out I talk to her (yeah, I know, now I sound crazy!) and negotiate a prize. "Let's work out and then we can color/craft/sew/play sudoku for half an hour." Or sometimes, what she needs is tenderness so I promise an extra long shower followed by a total-body lotion treatment or some such pampering. I've been working on recovery for a few years and have found this part of my "treatment" the MOST effective. I LOVE the WATP videos! I am scheduled to one tomorrow.

Nite everyone!

Good Morning everyone. I need to be at work today at 5:30 but I still got up at 3:00 so I could have some extra time in prayer and reading the word. I just love spending quiet time in the mornings. I did the Wii Fit too and set a new goal on there. My new goal for the Wii fit is to be just overweight and no longer obese. I am down a pound from the weight I have gained so to get a true starting weight on my BLC I will weigh on Sunday to see where I am at.

Sandy: oops, I didn't mean BMI is high if I said that, sorry. I meant her Body Fat percent is 50% not her BMI. Sorry if I got it wrong. lol. How exciting for school to start for you soon. I have been going back and forth about school and finally decided to put it on hold until I am more clear on what I want to do. Where are you moving to hon?

Becca: I am very proud of you for exercising yesterday. I hope that is a new trend for you. Do a few minutes a day and soon that foot stomping inner child will be stomping her feet if you are not going to exercise. Hugs.

Mimi: 3 months sounds so far away. I will keep you in my prayers for sure. I hate that type of thing. Hugs to you.

Well, I am going to go brush my teeth and start my car and see how much snow is on it. Something is wrong with our garage door opener and it will cost about $400 to fix that we don't have right now so I have been parking outside. It stinks in the snow. lol. Can you say spoiled much.

Blessings,
Annie

Becca - I am so proud of you! I had to do the same thing yesterday and I must say I felt so much better after the WATP. Today will be a repeat of the exercise but hopefully not the tantrum. I have found if I do it earlier in the day it makes my head clearer and the internal struggle is over allowing more productive thoughts. Keep up the great work!

Day One is in the books - exercise, water, weighed and measured OP foods! Day two is here and will be a repeat! Hopefully it will include more exercise than yesterday also.

Mimi - you always make me smile - thank you.

Annie - be careful - how much more snow did you get? I think we will be in the upper 40s today and the girls and I (maybe DH too) will head to the park.

To all of us perfectionists - perhaps as we try to add some gray to our black and white worlds we should establish easier ground rules for ourselves. Keep some black and white and let go of more. So the "perfect" thing I will do is to post everyday - no matter how the day is. Anybody with me?

Angie - did you also get the display accessory with your HRM? I'm anxious to hear how it is for you. WOOOHOOO on being so close to a fantastic milestone.

Time to change out laundry and more coffee - than I hear Jillian calling.

Who's drinking water today? (Penny?)

Hugs,
Carol

and one more time i crawl back in with my tail between my legs

greetings old and new friends! its good to be back. altho you have all been in my thoughts while ive been gone.

I havent been really doing anything exceptional. at all. i just finished another semester at school, and got a 4.0, but it was all production classes, so there wasnt a lot of effort involved. lol.

I have decided to do a lot of things different this year. i dont do resolutions, but i have committed to myself to do the things i say im going to do, reserving the right to change my mind, but not quit.

My goal is to lose 65 lbs by my birthday which is sept 4. Hopefully I will also be starting a new school then too. I am applying to transfer to Chapman University in Orange, CA for Film Production in the fall. i spent all day working on figuring out the admission requirements, and how many (5) ESSAYS i have to write. Im very excited for this because i have never really considered transfering to a 4 year school. i really didnt even care about graduating college, til i did it in may. i stayed for another semester because they offered me a position on the board of directors, which sounds more glamourous than it is.

the hardest goal for me tho is to get out of this totally toxic relationship im in. altho im not actually DATING this person, i am rediculously in love with him and have been for years. its a very unhealthy situation. i dont want to be with anyone else. and we have talked about it. he says he doesnt feel the same way, but then we sleep together, so its all pretty messed up. we've had a pretty sordid past, and i have to decide if trying to have the friendship is worth it, without the physical aspect. and when i say i love him. i mean it. its been over 10 years. its the kind of love that movies and songs are written about. but its wasted on someone that doesnt want it.

so thats about it... im glad to be on this journey with all of you. i hope the holidays didnt bring too many bad surprises.

Luan

Hi Annie, No, you didn't say it wrong. I guess I don't know the difference between fat percent and BMI. I don't know where we're moving to yet. I depends on when we have to be out of our house.


Carol, I'm drinking water today. It's my today's goal.


Luan I'm glad to see you back. I'm just back too. And I too, am trying to make a decision about a relationship. It's sad and hard at the same time. But I'm getting tired of feeling used. It takes two adults to make a relationship work. Not just one doing all the work. Literally. I'm back in school to and it's a life saver. I have such a great time there and am easily accepted there. It's awesome.


Mimi The loyalty comes from adult children and it's precious.


I'm doing more laundry today and I hope to finish aprons. I want to take down the tree today and rearrange the living room. I'm hoping my husband goes out soon so I can get things done the way I like them. And I'm going to drink my WATER!

sure wish some of you woman who sew where at my house with your machine ready. I have so many table runners to make. I have my patterns ready and getting ready to start the cutting process. I am feeling a little overwhelmed and wonder how on earth i ever agreed to do this!!!
Got my jug of water by my side.
hugs to all

Hi eveyone..

I was lucky to get off work early today!!!!! It is so nice getting home when the sun is out! The trip to Flagstaff is exactly what I needed!! The snow...was ohh so beautiful! I know some of you that live in it all the time may think other wise lol but I loved it surrounding all the pine trees! We found a place off the highway that was like a big bank and everyone, meaning like 50 plus people, were taking sleds and anything they had and going down the hill! My hubby, kids, sons gf, my sister her hubby, and my niece had a blast! Zoe,my niece, who is 2, would pick up snow balls her mom made and eat them!! She laughed and thought that was soo funny. She would say snow snow! lol I video taped the whole thing. While I was sad afterwards because of my weight I could not go down the hill..it gave me something to work towards. I did get stuck in the snow a few times..lol..you sink alot when you are heavy! I said next year I am getting on that innner tube and going down it!

Today I am going to take down the Christmas tree and decorations and spend time on my Slumber Party business. Organizing papers and getting packages ready. I also want to start working on my book about Zoe my niece. A scrapbook! It is a little mini one.

I have to go to BBand beyond to get a scale. Weigh in is on sunday and I wanna be ready!

I gave myself a nonfood reward today, the first haircut I have had in over 2 years. It is in the last page of the picture thread.

Toni - you are absolutely beautiful - your happiness radiates in the picture. Thank you for sharing.

TONI!!!!! I love your new hair cut!!!!!! Love the curl to it!

You look smashing Darling!!!!

ps. Love the snow behind you!!