good morning my coaches,

first off, big hug to angelmomma. it just sucks. i know i have a harder time when DH is going through something awful than when i do, because when it's someone else, i work so hard to make it better. i hope things turn out the absolute best for both of you.

tera - how marvellous to make that discovery about your body! sure makes it easier to stay on track when the scale doesn't give you the love you're looking for. but it also seems that even without it, you were 99% there with beck thinking anyway. rock on, girlfriend! i had a little roller coaster myself this weekend. was down a lb friday (happy) up 1/2 sat (unhappy), up another 1/2 yesterday (muy unhappy) and have dropped all of it plus another 1 1/2 as of this morning (MUY happy.) note to self: don't freak. it's all good.

i'm on day 6 of the steroids and have come to realize that medication doesn't have to be an excuse to overeat. nice! also had a wedding weekend (cousin) which also was not an excuse to overeat. i'm spending next weekend in NYC with my most beloved girfriends in the entire world, who live on opposite sides of the country, and i'm going to have a plan worked out long before i get on the plane on thursday. i'd like to give myself some wiggle room for things i hardly EVER indulge in (i'm talking margaritas) so i'll have to figure out if i really expect to continue losing, or if i'm okay with an extra week of maintenance. i figure as long as i know what the plan is ahead of time, it'll all be fine.

have also decided, after two weeks of trying to rent my old house, to put it on the market along with most of the furniture and my beloved pre-baby mini cooper. the market's pretty ugly for selling things like houses and cars right now, but i'm feeling a very strong urge to dump all the STUFF that i really don't want or need. i suspect this will also make me feel lighter. one job, one house, one car for one family. half the yardwork, mortgage payments, electric bills, schlepping around and dealing. it feels like i'm finally able and willing to make space in my life for me. and you know what? the diet thing is a big part of it. i bet i didn't give nearly enough credit to the issues that finding the right plan makes for you. i've spent years trying to find the right plan, and i've finally found it. SO MUCH EASIER! onebyone, what you said.

tremendous! happy thanksgiving!

mazel tov bill on your improved yard! what a delicious feeling to complete a big project like that. enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! and robin, just wanted to send props for backing off a project that didn't feel right to you. it's not an insignificant thing to do. kudos!

i'm off - 1 lb from a NEW CHARM, so it's time to shop eBay. ideas? i was thinking about maybe a little house, or a running shoe, or something cake-related.

Welcome back, shrinkin!

Sorry you've had such a rough time, of late. Glad that you've decided here and now to reverse the trend of not taking care of yourself!

onebyone: Ooo. Christmas gift sales! November/December sounds like the perfect time to run a booth. On the other hand, it sounds like you've got plenty on your plate without the booth. Careful not to squeeze self-care out of your schedule!

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadians (in citizenship and spirit)!

Okay, time for me to get to work!

The Beckham Diet rocks!

Hi Hansen,

Googling for the Victoria Beckham diet finds:Victoria Beckham is not related to the Beck Diet Solution.

I also note that your introductory thread was CLOSED by Ruthxxx with the comment:Hope you are able to find a place that better fits the discussion of the Victoria Beckham Diet.

Diet Coaches - Just hauled to the curb, for city recycling pickup, some 20 plus pounds of paper from my stacks of treasures. Reducing clutter one sheet at at time. CREDIT moi. Walked to the store after dark to get bananas for this morning's breakfast. The city is so different after dark; I don't explore that kind of walking enough. The weather was perfect for a day of bird watching. The Golden-crowned Kinglets were passing through - I say a lifetime's worth in a few trees. A refreshing day in prep for facing work-week reality, LOL.

Robin (RobinW) - And Happy Thanksgiving to you Robin. Understand that switching around a key holiday is a bummer. Good luck in reviving that indoor outdoormarket.

Jeanie (Kuhljeanie) - Kudos for enjoying a wedding without going off plan. Methinks that's one of the big challenges in changing our lifestyle - to realize that special occasions can be enjoyed without over indulgence. Congrats on being one pound away from another charm.

onebyone - Yay that your home remedy of orange juice caught your cold before it could settle in. Kudos for accepting that your blue jeans know what your body is doing.

shrinkin - Warm sympathies for dealing with your mom and Alzheimers. Ouch for real life issues stacking up on you. Kudos for coming out swinging. And Kudos for only eating when hungry and never eating to over full. I like your helpful response, "If I am OP, the scale will follow."

angelmomma210 - Waving. Sending supportive thoughts for you and your DH as you take on this week.

Tera (twilit tera) - Yep, back to work for you teachers in training, LOL. Hope you had a nice Columbus Day.

Readers -

morning everyone,

down ANOTHER 1.5 lbs this morning? happy for sure, but sort of wondering if it's just some weird thing, a long time coming, or my body settling into a happy weight loss place with the new plan. or if i'll get on the scale tomorrow and it'll be back to where it was before this weekend. strange.

still on the steroids, and they've been messing with my moods and sleep. can't wait to get all this crap out of my system!

shrinkin, so sorry to hear about your mood and your arm. am sending happy vibes for a speedy recovery from both. so glad you posted! give yourself credit for everything you're doing right today. you're still actively earning kudos!

work piling up - have a good one, y'all!

It's been a couple more good OP days, including getting planned exercise though I was stuck at home.

tomorrow, I get to observe a preschool classroom. I'd better plan ahead and bring good food so I'm not tempted by evil McD's.

for all!

Greetings, coaches!
Well, I wrote a long posting this morning, went to post it and it went away. ARGH. Decided to post tonight rather than my usual morning time.

Tomorrow am will be hurried.


Was almost OP yesterday (over by 250 cals) and so far, OP totally today. Only one glass of wine tonight and I am committed to no more. NO CHOICE. CREDIT MOI.


Went to grocery and picked up cherry tomatoes, apples, banannas, pineapple, grapes, carrots, fresh corn and broccoli (yup, Robin got some of that Kraft sesame dressing to try with that broccoli). Credit MOI for creating time for healthy eating and planning.


Physical therapy today with more steroids delivered to elbow. PT confirmed I now have clear cut rotator cuff problem in right shoulder in addition to elbow tendonitis. Oh WELL. It is going to be a long haul to get over this. Now will have PT twice a week.


Needed to go to pool today, but too much to do. Decided to give myself credit for getting food plan back OP and then plan to go to pool tomorrow. Sometimes just have to take it one step at a time.


Kuhljeanie-WooHoo for the pounds! Even if the scale is up tomorrow...you are rocking along on your plan...so it will be fallin’.

BBE-High five on the clutter removal work. Methinks clutter is a perpetual battle. Turn your back only for a little while, and the clutter takes over again. Thanks for your concern...LOL for the vision of me "coming out swinging". Maybe with these arms, I need to "come out kicking". Smiling for your watching the birds; nice to notice the seasons changing.

RobinW-Waving back! Happy Belated Thanksgiving..to you and to onebyone! What will you be taking to the market?

Twilit Tera- Hope the work is still going well....and that you are still rocking on with your diet, supplements and exercise.

onebyone-Hope you are OK out there...missed your swift b-kick. WooHoo for those jeans falling off...well maybe not all the way off! LOL. I see smaller shirts in your future...keep on keeping on. Wonder if your appetite changes when you have several low carb days in a row?

angelmomma210- sending you and DH more positive vibes and hugs. Hope things are going your way!

More to do before bedtime. Pool tomorrow.

Diet Coaches - Missed my gym session when they stopped me at the turnstile because my membership expired. Renewing is as unpleasant as buying a used car from the mafia. Don't know what it is about the old gyms; they have this low-life mentality with a "you're not going to get away with this" attitude contract that runs four pages long listing all the ways they can cancel your membership and not refund your money. Oh Well. Eating was on plan including mashed butternut squash with diner. Yay for winter squash. CREDIT moi.

Robin (RobinW) - Waving back at Robin-on-the-run, LOL.

Jeanie (Kuhljeanie) - Congrats on the continuing weight drop. Perhaps your body has accepted that you're in this for real and is letting go. It's time to brace against victory slips, or Sabotaging Thoughts like, I don't deserve this. You do deserve it, and it is happening.

onebyone - Waving at student on the run. Have you thought of suspenders to keep those jeans in place without sacrificing one hand for tugging? When I was losing I had a pair of wide red suspenders to help ward off the need to buy new trousers at every waist decrement.

shrinkin - Double Ouch for "clear cut rotator cuff problem in right shoulder in addition to elbow tendonitis." (I thought rotator cuff problems happened only to baseball pitchers making $10 million a year, LOL.) Kudos for that shopping list to stock a healthy pantry. LOL at "come out kicking." RE lost posts: I've had that happen often enough that I've taken to doing CTRL-A CTRL-C to copy my post to the clipboard before posting or previewing. I only need it infrequently, but I'm glad it's there.

angelmomma210 - Waving. Continuing to send supportive thoughts for you and your DH; hope things begin to tilt in your favor this week.

Tera (twilit tera) - Kudos for exercise when stuck at home. Good luck with your preschool observation.

Readers -

Morning coaches

I think it's nippy out there this morning. ugh. I am to be at school at 9am sharp today. Our class is going on an offical tour of a gallery. I think we are going on the official tour so we can critiwue how Art is presented to the gallery visitor. It is my Art and Criticism class after all. I am hoping to take off after the tour and head out to the theatre (it's movie day!) but probably we'll be doing our whole 3 hours. So, given this, I will keep this short! I have been OP and my weight is artificially high on this my weighin day: 253.6.

"Hello body... I'm wanting to see that 249 again ok? Thanks."

And moving on.

Rats. have to run! will be back later... enjoy your day

morning my coaches,

i think i figured out the weight drop - i woke up early morning to use the loo, and was absolutely drenched in sweat. didn't realize how much water i was losing overnight from the 'roids. i've been trying to keep my liquids up, taking fish oil and probiotics to help with some of the uglier side effects, but my guess is that i'm just dehydrated. i've got another week to taper and then we'll see. i still have remnants of the rash, but i'm sick of feeling so OUT of it! wish i wasn't on them for this weekend in NYC. oh, well!

went over calorie budget yesterday by 400 cals. i was so hungry last night i wanted to eat my child. decided exactly what extra was going in, ate it, and waited. about 30 minutes afterwards i felt better, though was still starving this morning. i actually feel very good about it. it wasn't a binge - i'm just working on figuring out when my body needs what, exactly. was also sick with hunger this morning but felt immediately better after eating a slightly heavier breakfast (by design.) could be the medication, could be natural metabolic ups and downs - but i feel in control. really good feeling.

shrinkin, so sorry to hear about your shoulder. rotator cuff injuries suck. i had one when i was younger and was doing some intense heavy weight lifting. made me wish patience was one of those things that you only have to work on once! bill, i know what you mean! i made a vow to join no more gyms (easier since there's a great free one at work) and will instead take the money i was spending there, put into a fund, and in 2 or three years when we remodel the master suite i'll build my own little gym. it always made me nervous, signing those contracts! felt like a 2nd mortgage. and you're right - i'm having a bit of a "believe it" challenge. still haven't picked out a charm even though i've been at 174.5 for two days in a row. i'll do that today, for sure. enjoy your day too, onebyone! nippy can be nice - guess it depends on the extent of the nip.

I can do more than wave today.....only because Im making myself sit and relax a bit.

Last night hubby and I were here at the shop until about 9pm.....BUT we got the newsletter out, and our online designer went live last night at about 5pm!!! We a just soooooo excited about this!! Today I had to do a presentation about it....then I have another meeting about another idea I came up with after reading only "2" pages of Seth Godin's "Marketers Lie" Some nights I need an off switch for my brain, I certainly could have used one last night.

I cant post a link to the designer, because it is a form of advertising....but if you want to go check it out pm me and I'll send you a link. Id love some feedback on this. So far today we've only received 2 emails about it, but they are from folks that are already in this business. We are still working out the kinks, and adding information....but its live (finally) This has been 3 yrs in the making!!

We keep growing.....and Im getting busier, Im just not looking forward to the day we finally have to hire someone to help out.

k.....eating isnt too bad. A bit of unplanned food, but it was still on the diet plan. Exercise....no not really. More the spontaneous stuff. Ive been moving, just not organized moving

Jean~ Im glad that your rash is clearing up. Its always so frustrating, when you do everything right and it still lingers and irritates!

Bill~ sorry to hear about the gym issue! Alot of the older ones are still like that. The last one I went to I was actually surprised at how easy it would have been to cancel!

shrinkin~ Big Kudos for stopping at one glass of wine!!! Awesome!!
As for the market, I was thinking since buffalo themed stuff sells so well during the holidays, that that's what I would peddle. I have quite a few buffalo ny designs, and they sell for only $10. So its a good price point for that kind of venue.
.....did you try the dressing yet?

K.....Im off have a great afternoon everyone!

Coaches,

An OP day today totally! WooHoo!

Calories on target required resisting chocolate desert at work. Credit MOI. Pool work out for 35 min (working my way back up to 45-50 min). Credit MOI. Bad news, amazing decrease in leg strength from missing 10 days. Oh Well, will get it back and then some.

Also, got in increased water today and read ARC twice. Gotta keep up the motivation.

RobinW-Had the broccoli with Kraft sesame dressing tonight. Yum, yum. Kudos for the unplanned exercise. Buffalo themes sounds like a winner for the holiday market. BTW DH grew up in Orchard Park, so I hear about his "Buffalo Days"...and the fact that you have way more snow than we do!
kuhljeanie-ouch for steroid side effects. WooHoo for feeling in control. for new charm and for NYC trip! Gotta believe...go for the charm.
onebyone-Kudos for being OP. Hope you had a great movie day!
BBE-Double Yay for squash. We still have a couple from farmer Bob that have yet to hit the oven. Eew for those gym club toughies. OH WELL for discomfort of signing ones life away for a gym membership. CREDIT for signing up for another year! Thx for tips on avoiding post disappearance.

More work to do tonight. Sending all some positive thoughts!

Hi coaches

Well it's the end of my carbup day. I was about 89% on target for how I'd like to be on my carbup day. What spoiled it were the chips. I am making a book for my apprenticeship this semester that includes a pringles chip can and a single chip and so I had the unopened can in the house for my project and ended up eating most of the chips so "I could have the can to take apart and also have a few chips to work with". I didn't plan on chips but was craving a cookie and didn't want to let myself have sweets so I had the other evil instead. now I am not off plan with this, as it is carb up day, and carbs are what I am supposed to have so it's okay but really, it's not healthy and what's wrong with a regular potato? hello? I need to get a handle on this and I think, for me, this means planning. Again with the planning. if i really want to see that 249 again I better follow the plan to a T. I'm just starting to lose weight, I can't be getting in my way now. Coaches tell me to keep going so I can wear that fake fur coat in the closet this winter! I am sure it's going to be a cold cold one and that coat is perfect, but only if it fits! I need to shed about 20lbs to get into it and have 10 weeks to the end of the year and when the really cold weather settles in. I can do this can't I? FOCUS and PERSISTENCE in VICTORY.

shrinkin okay I owe you this: but please consider it more a gentle push forward as you have jumped back on the wagon bigtime! Really I need to give you this for doing that and also these for your poor shoulder and elbow. I know the visiting you did that got you to this state was appreciated and I also know you will keep on keepin' on until you are recovered. You have no choice but to heal. None.

RobinW How exciting for you! Your business sounds like it's thriving. nice to hear good solid economic news. I too am having a tough time getting exercise in and am still not able to schedule that gym thing. One more tuition payment to get out of the way and I can do that so for me too it's spontaneous exercise for now.

kuhljeanie You're doing great dealing with the steroids and the side effects and everything. I can feel how determined you are. Yay! just keep going.. remember..persist in victory!

BillBlueEyes Ah gym memberships. Hopefully I'll be signing one soon myself. Glad you're enjoying the winter squash. BTW I saw blueberries from Argentina in the store yesterday. Where'd the summer go? South it seems!