Good morning all. Toby and Becky just came in from outside mainly due to the wind is blowing so hard out there that it's mean to leave them outside (although they don't seem to mind!). They're now taking a nap to re-energize before their next bought of playing. 150 pounds of dogs in the house is fun but messy!

Terra -- You are DEDICATED to your walking to walk inside. But when something works, I definitely don't question it. Good for you.

Ubee -- Yes, I'm thinking of renting out Toby to young 4-Hers so they can learn beginning calf roping. Although I'm not sure that all the licking he does should be part of the training. Sorry you're going through the doldrums right now, but glad you are taking some time to reflect. You're our cheerleader, so hope that things continue down the feeling better route.

Jane -- I have to admit that I've never had a problem with overeating broccoli.

Fi -- You have so many diverse interests! Hope the letter to your Belgian friend goes well -- know it will be a hard one to write let alone in a foreign language. Thanks for the portion control hints.

SilentArctic -- Sounds like you have the portion control concept under control -- at least at home.

There's a lady here in town who lost a ton of weight, and whenever anyone asks her what diet she was on, she said none -- just used portion control. This has really gotten me thinking. A bell went off in my head the other day (this happens frequently.....ringing bells in my head sometimes even for a reason) because I saw my dad's coffee cup in with my other coffee mugs. It dawned on me that even our coffee cups are 2-3 times the size of what they used to be. I saved his cup because the man drank coffee all day long -- instant and preferred it if you can believe that -- and I wanted it to remind me of him. So, I've started trying to find out what the portion sizes were back in the 70s-80s. Also, back when I tried Weight Watchers, I bought two big spoons from them that measure 1 cup and 1/2 cup along with measuring spoons that are 1 and 2 tablespoons. I already have the luncheon plates. Now, I just have to get my mind around eating smaller portions and eating it slowly enough that my tummy has time to talk to my brain. I've about convinced myself that if I can develop eating habits I can live with for the rest of my life, then the weight will come off more easily. I've got to stop thinking of this as "modifying" my eating habits, but they need to be changed, not modified. OK, off to shampoo the rugs and do more thinking!

portion control is a huge issue for me. even now that my stomach is do much smaller, I still Sometimes over do it. I like the idea of putting the leftovers away.

got my swim in today, and I'm doing some house work but pretty slowly. It's a lazy day here. planning a surprise party for my boyfriends 30th next week. Should be fun.

Betsy - I have it in theory but I don't always adhere to it.

Terra - go mall walker :-D

Jane that sounds fun

Ubee - just for you...

Went to a startrek themed surprise party last night that was fun. I did over-indulge a little bit I generally stayed further away from the food table which helped to limit my food intake and only really had 3 drinks which sounds like a lot but between the span of 7pm and 12:00 am not too shabby for me. Just a lot of chit chatting with a lot of friendly people. I nerded it up and had made a costume, I got told "gee you put a lot of effort in just for a theme party". I usually do though I enjoy, costumes and nerdy things like that. Especially when I can try and do something creative with makeup. It didn't photograph well unfortunately but was still fun.



Didn't get a lot done which is a problem but I tried.

Silent! A party is just what I needed! Who did you dress as? Were there great decorations? Three drinks is just enough to help relax you! I so give you permission to not have gotten things done. This is way more important. Remember when we die at 100 years old we do not want anyone to stand over us and say "She worked so hard her whole life." We want them to say "She sure knew how to have fun!" Cuba is going to be so much fun!
Jane will your party have a theme???
Betsy I am back! Good job noticing the coffee mugs. My light bulb went off! We have a cup from our honeymoon which is small. The last one I bought is HUGE! My kettles and casserole dishes have grown also. Wow. Right in front of my face and I never noticed. That was nice of Toby and Becky to make a mess so you could get in some exercise cleaning it up. Good doggies!
Terra how was the mall? Did you get some window shopping in? Are the Spring clothes out yet?
I am doing so much better getting my exercise in and it is really helping my mood and my sleep!
Nighty night!

betsy ~ Thanks for commenting on my walking

silent ~ Yeah it was fun lol, Im considering going 3 days a week.

Ubee ~ Yeah it was fun, I bought 10 pairs of Zebra ankle socks for 10 dollars, They were 2-pack of 5 for 10 dollars. I cant wait to wear them.

Hey all...

I am back.... been a rough patch, but I am back and ready to start (again)

will change batteries in my scale tonight and update with a weigh in.

I have a workout buddy who is starting the Couch to the 5k program with me this week... my goal is to run a 1/2 marathon in Disneyworld... so time to start.

life continues with ups and downs, but I am feeling focused again.

Hope you all have a great day

Good Morning!
Welcome back Melissa! I vote we all stay focused!
Terra zebra socks sound fun. Is it a big mall? I wish I had a mall close by so I could go walking but then again I am not so strong at resisting the food court.
On to a new day...

Ubee thanks and I agree!!!

do anyone ever feel the universe is working against them?

I'm all motivated, but then I have a conversation with an old friend... who talks about wanting to get closer to me... but then coming back around to mention that he is still in love with his ex and wants to get her back and used the dreaded words "for now"... in terms of a relationship with me...... the worst part is I am torn..... he made valid points ( and analogies) and then inside I'm screaming about how this will just end up hurting me......

(he made the analogy of ice cream oddly enough, if you love one flavour but then decide to try another, how can you say your heart was meant for that second flavour, even though you end up loving it)......... whatever he wrote it better than that and I kind of get it........ but how can I enter into a relationship with someone knowing they have feelings for someone else, even 'IF' he could end up loving me (more)

it just makes me feel cheap...... sorry to rant to you (especially after a long absence)........ but honestly I don't have anyone else right now I can talk to about this......

this would be the time I would binge on chocolate and feel sorry for myself...... but trying not to.

Hey everyone!

Glad to see that my big rant helped everyone think about what our ultimate goals are!! I'm doing pretty good today and proud to have a good weigh in this week!! I lost 5.4 lbs!!!!!

This is just a short check in. I have to work on cleaning the house today, which I dread, get some grocery shopping done and make up my breakfast and lunch for the work week.

I'm glad everyone is doing well!! Have a POP day!!!

Good morning all. The silly daylight savings time has started, and I feel as though I've lost half a day because I didn't wake up until almost 8 this morning. Anyone else totally driven by when the sun comes up and sets? During summer out here, I sleep a lot less and feel just as rested.

Sam -- 5+ pounds. That's absolutely wonderful!

Oops -- I started with personals, but my BIL just arrived for the socking (he still needs me to put on his TED hose) and to have a cup of coffee. So, Melissa, glad to see you back and I'm torn between advising you to go for it in the relationship or just saying chuck it. Ubee, glad to see your cheerleader self back. Rah Rah!!! Terra, mall crawling seems to suit you. SilentArctic -- what a fun party.

Sorry if I missed someone. Have a great day. I'm truly going to get the rugs shampooed today and work on a web site.

My niece Margaret & her son Gavin will be coming over soon, so I better squeeze in a posting while I've got the chance. I'm going to recruit Margaret to help me stow away some of the very large pieces of colored/patterned/textured papers I use as backgrounds for my collages, while I'm working on cutting out the elements for a new piece. If she enjoys doing it, I'll see if she wants to do some other stuff to help me. I always have a backlog of things that need to be done to pick up after past collages and get ready for future ones.

I'm pleased to report that I'm about 2/3 through writing my letter to Robine: it's going well, I think. I'm writing it on my iPad because that's where I have all my English-to-French dictionaries and grammar checkers, plus a French-to-French dictionary and thesaurus. Then I'll copy it out longhand in turquoise ink with my fountain pen. But it's not going to be just words: I'm jotting down notes to myself as I go along for little drawings I can make, plus rubber stamps & stickers I can use. Three cheers for snail mail! It's so much more personal, friendly, & cheerful than email.

I've realized that having that sugar-free muesli in the house is just a big temptation to indulge in carbos, so I'm going to stop buying it. The box that I had is now empty, and I'm not getting another. So there! =smile=

Ubee— I would say that once I started keeping a diary of my hunger and fullness numbers, it only took me a couple of weeks to be able to keep track of my stomach state without having to write it down. But before I started the diary, I read a very helpful book, Susie Orbach's On Eating. Of all the eating-related books I've read, Orbach's is definitely the best on the subject of how to tell when you're hungry and how hungry you are and ditto for fullness. It's short and packed with content.

Oops, I've run out of time! I'm doing the same thing Betsy did, starting the personals and not finishing them. Welcome back, Melissa, and good luck with your quandary! Way to go on the weight loss, Sam! Zebra socks are so cool, Terra! Good thoughts on portion control, everyone! Sorry for all the exclamations! =laugh=

Good Afternoon!
Betsy I was glad to have the time change. Now if Mother Nature would bring on Spring!!! Ditto on less sleep in summer. Sorry if any one does not agree but we are just like animals and need to hibernate some in winter.
Sam 5.4 is TERRIFIC!
Melissa that is a dilema. My girlfriends have banned me from giving advice when it comes to men. It seems my expectations of men are too high... Good luck and rant all you want we are here for you. Take it from someone who has more years experience with chocolate. It does not help anything. I tried it this morning and nope it did not make me weigh less.
Fi good job on cleaning out the food enviorment! Your letter sounds thoughtful and beautiful. Thanks for the book advice. I will see if the library has it.
Off to jump on the treadmill. Terra will be on here soon and I want to report back that I got a walk in too!

Ubee ~ I love my zebra socks, Yeah its a big mall, Two floors. I think getting a pretzel and some lunch there isnt bad, You just dont want to hit each food option there is. That is awesome that you got a walk in. Thats too bad that there is not a mall in your area so you could walk in the mall and get exercise that way.

Fiona ~ You never told me about how The Month Of Letters worked? Maybe you didnt noticed my post but thats okay.

Im gonna be sure to walk tonight

Ubee - LOL I think honestly no one will remember me when I'm gone except the few family that will be obliged to I wasn't a specific character just a certain type of alien that had nose ridges nad wores a special style earing.


Terra glad you like the mall walking I think its perfect for when the weather gets too hot! (or too cold, but more on the hot side, airconditioning is a beautiful thing in the summer (as its freezing here right now lol))

time - welcome back! sorry about the stress your friend is causing, no advice your the only one who can figure out what is best for you, AND what you are willing to do and the limits you will set.

betsy - I dislike daylight savings I get use to the gradual changes in sunlight and the whole time change really messes with my rythm!

FI - you are strong saying no to the muesili!

Sam 5.4 lbs that is CRAZAY! Congrats

'So tired stupid timechange, didn't do much interesting yesterday, worked prepped for a birthday brunch at a friends today. Went there in trying to get afew things done at work before I zip off to my weekly sunday night plans. I am not impressed with my work ethic so distractable this weekend. I have stuff going on thats got me preoccupied but still stuff has got to get done!

Ubee we're pretty laid back. We'll just do a bbq at my brother's.

I slept the clock around! Went for a nap at five yesterday and woke up at 4:30 this morning. Plus side is I got most of my housework done and cleaned both vehicles out. Had a minor cheat with some nachos today, but I stopped after a few.

Hope you all had good weekends