Good morning all. Just enough time to wish everyone a good day, and then it's time to hit the gym!

Ubee I'm chuckling over the washing and ironing as all that house cleaning that was going to get done at my house......time to do it again! This cleanliness stuff is beginning to look highly overrated to me. 80 pounds of mulch......bought 80 bags of mulch which weighs in at about 2400 pounds. Retirement is a state of mind as the house and yard work still exist.
Dean My niece wanted a Keurig for her birthday and likes it, but isn't in love with it. Your coffee flavors just sound so good.....do you buy flavored beans or use syrups or what. I'm thinking this would be a wonderful way to have a treat without a gazillion calories as part of the deal. Did you get your walk in?
Sam Ubee's right -- getting in that exercise is a better choice than posting to us (although I love your posts so please don't miss too many days with us). So glad that you went to the doctor and found one you like. That does make all the difference in the world.
Fi I'm exhausted from just reading about all your art work, but am so glad that you have found such fulfillment and joy with this. You remind me so much of my sister, only her passion was quilting. Sounds like things are working well on the health front as you continue to fine tune your eating. Good for you as it seems to make such a marked difference in so many aspects of your overall well being. Get out there and enjoy your beautiful spring.
Jane You're going to wake up one of these mornings and the scale will have moved. It will happen. Just keep doing what you're doing. In the meantime, I agree with your sentiment. The stress from being in limbo may be keeping it at your set point. Once you know something one way or the other, I bet you see some scale movement.

Just read an interesting article that suggests brushing your teeth when you get a craving. It said that the sweetness from the toothpaste helps plus most snack foods don't taste too good immediately after brushing your teeth. The author also said that he's so lazy that the thought of brushing them again before going to bed helps to keep him from eating at night. I may give this a try. Fi, I am giving myself credit for not gaining it all back. I just am ready to get myself back in the game and lose some more. It will happen -- just have to get over my addictive behaviors. Off to the gym and then I really do have to clean the house. Supposed to be clear tomorrow so the windows will get their annual washing some time this week.

Jane Stick with it! We can hack through this or so they tell me!

Sorry no REAL time for personals gotta get back to work asap but I'm alive Ubee. Tired, and grumpy, but alive... :-P Trudging through work takes it out of mte and last night I had step aerobics and bellydance class... tonight I'm still trying to convince myself to attend yoga and then possibly go to the gym to get in some cardio i know that working out is an important part of treating not only my obesity but general health, being consistent about it SHOULD help with my blood pressure, and my blood sugar.. etc etc but this being tired all the time really doesn't help I feel like such a let down I haven't seen some of my friends since well before I went on vacation

Hey Everyone!

Hope everyone had a good day. Today wasn't too bad for me. Just a typical old work day. One of our company reps bought us lunch today, so of course they had to pick Zaxbys. Luckily I just got a plain garden salad with no chicken, no cheese, and no fried onions. I brought my own piece of chicken from home and just put it on top of there. I couldn't even finish half the salad I was so full. I'm pretty sure my stomach is shrinking. Well, I mean I know I'm losing weight, but it seems to be getting easier for me to tell when I'm hungry, when I'm full, and when my mind is bored and just wants to eat out of boredom. I can't remember the last time I ate out of boredom, which is a big deal for me. Growing up I was always told I wasn't allowed to leave the dinner table until I finished my meal. It's something that has been ingrained in my head, and I think is part of the cause as to why I used to eat even when I was full. It's been a hard transition, but I feel like I'm finally there. I am telling myself not to finish if I can't eat anymore and eat only when I'm hungry, but I also don't let myself go too long without eating anything because I still get ravenously hungry if I go for more than 5 or 6 hours without eating. I have been good with eating more smaller meals and I think that's been a huge help with raising my metabolism.

I didn't do too much with working out today. I just worked on my legs for about 35-40 minutes, but I know anything is better than nothing at all. I think when I get off here I'm going to try this new weight lifting move that I saw that you can do at home with your legs without having a leg machine. I am so close to being down 40lbs, just 3.4 lbs to go! I hope I can break it this week!

Fi Thank you so much for the kind words. It feels so good that I can be an inspiration to someone. I don't think I've ever been an inspiration to anyone before. You are so good at your art, and it makes me so happy to see you so happy!

Ubee I'm really hopeful with this doctor. She was so nice, and didn't make me feel like I needed to give up hope for my chance to have kids. I'm at the age where I truly have been wanting to have one for about 5 years. It's only gotten worse now that I'm older because I see time slipping away from me, and that my chance will be gone before I know it. Seeing all of my friends having babies has been really hard. I'm so happy for them, but I just want my chance too . I've cried in the middle of Wendys before seeing a cute family with two kids interacting together as a family...It's embarassing to admit, but it's true. Hopefully she will be there to help me every step of the way. Thanks for giving me the encouragement on the working out. I really hate doing it, but I know if I don't, I won't see the results I need/want.

Jane You are going through a rough patch, but believe me girl, you WILL get through this! You will succeed! You CAN do this!! With not knowing your fate at work, I would be a complete wreck if it were me, so I give you big props for being so calm! We are ALL here to support you and help you through anything!! Be strong dear!!

Betsy Yes, the exercise is more important, but I honestly would put posting here just as important because without you guys, I don't think I would have made it as far as I have. I still have a LONG way to go, but with everyone's love and support here, and just keeping my mind to it, I WILL do it!! And don't worry, I can't stay gone too long, I think it could mean big trouble for me if I do.

DH is making dinner again tonight...I tricked him into it :P...I'm going to go try a few new leg moves and then relax the rest of the evening...Stay strong everyone, we WILL fight this fight and WIN!!!

Do y'all know about the importance of inefficiency in weight loss? They've done studies of how fat people go about doing stuff—in the house, in the office—versus how skinny people do the same things. They've documented that fat people tend to be very efficient in their movements: if they need to carry three things from one room to another, they gather up all three things in their arms and move them all in one trip. A skinny person, by contrast, will grab one item and carry it to the next room where it goes, then go back for the second thing and carry it to the other room, and so on.

The same goes for going up and down the stairs to their apartment, or up and down the stairs in their house. The fat people, when documented over time, make fewer trips up and down than the skinny people do. If they're wearing pedometers, the skinny people take many more steps a day than the fat people.

So the next time you're picking up a room, or carrying stuff around the office, or bringing the dishes from the dining room into the kitchen, or moving the laundry from point A to point B, think about doing it inefficiently. The job gets done just the same either way, but if you take more steps, and climb more stairs, and make more trips from your car to where you live, you're living the life of a skinny person—moving about more and burning more calories.

'Sounds counter-intuitive, I know. Why would anyone want to do more work than is necessary? Why would anyone want their chores to take twice as long to accomplish? But just like waiting to eat until you're hungry, instead of eating at defined meal times, if you move inefficiently, you're changing your lifestyle.

I practice this as much as possible, telling myself the job will get done just the same if carrying in the groceries takes six or seven trips, than it will if it takes three trips.

It's a mellow way of doing things, too. Oddly enough, inefficiency is much less stressful. I feel more relaxed as I'm moving about, because I'm not all bothered about getting things done in a hurry. I park as far away from the post office as possible, stretch my legs and work my muscles, before gettin' back in the car to run the next errand. If it's a nice day in the spring, I get more opportunities to appreciate flowering trees, see a bird, interact with a neighbor.

I don't always remember, though: sometimes it seems like the right thing to do to take the elevator instead of the stairs, when I only have to go up one or two floors. But I'm trying...trying to make myself into an inefficient person.

Betsy, I usually buy flavored coffees. I migrate to the hazelnuts, but there are some great flavors out there, including coconut, marshmallow, etc.

My hazelnut 8 O'clock I buy the beans and grind fresh(always tastes better)... I know, there are purists who say the fresher the better and that prepackaged is still stale, but that's what I usually do...

I have tried syrups in the past, but its tooo easy to get lots of sugar with the real deal, and the only sugar-free I have right now is a hazelnut syrup that I go really sparingly on(not sure I like all the "chemicals" and sometimes the sugar-free can have bad "digestive" side effects, LOL).

Fi, I think I'm "inefficient" whether I need to be or not, LOL... Seems there's always something I need, and its in the OTHER room.

Trying to stay on track. I've been feeling a "down" period lurking in the background, and I just don't feel good. I suspect allergy stuff is preventing me from sleeping, which not only makes me feel bad, but also crave the carbs.

Have a great day!

Dean

FI Have you read (or seen) Cheaper by the dozen? It's the memoir of the children of Frank & Lillian Gilbreth, who were leading efficiency experts in the early part of the 20th century. Any way, all I could think of when I was reading your post was that those silly Gilbreths made me fat! (Don't try to follow my logic. I have none. Logic and I don't get along.)

down .9 to 371.9 today. Would be nice if I could get that last .9 off before the weekend so I could have a half a chance of hitting the 360's by Easter. Betsey was right. Every pound is going to go kicking and screaming.

Good Morning!
Dean your coffees all sound so good. Do you get a coconut taste with the coconut coffee or just the smell?
Fi my brain hurts from your post. I know what you mean but jeez!
Sam if your attitude has always been this positive then you have been an inspiration to more then just us! I really hope you drop that 3.4 FAST!
Silent so nice to see you! Grumpy my butt! I am so excited that we are taking bellydancing class. Betsy and I will have to get some awesome outfits!
Betsy I got my laundry and ironing done, or so I thought. This morning the teenager brought up a mountain of wash. She usually does her own but has/will be out of town so I said sure. I haven't heard any co-op stories. Whats up with that?
Terra I am a scaredy cat and can not watch horror movies. I thought of you yesterday while I was walking and imagined you by my side.
Jane love your spunk!
I am toast. Our daughter with autism had a hard day yesterday and into the night. Today is definately a nap day.
This morning I had to put off my breakfast and ran errands first. Damn Easter candy! Thought about how if I binged I would have to report it to all of you and I walked on by! I love you guys!

I have to make 250 bags of Easter candy tomorrow for work. If I live through that I can handle anything.

The coconut tends to have a really nice coconut smell, but more of a "nutty" taste... Very good, if you're a coconut lover.

I'm not really a coffee snob, because I like almost everything, but I will say some of the really dark roasts are just a bit too much for me. It becomes a bit bitter to my particular palate at a certain point.

Very pretty weather here today. Should bode well for an early evening walk with the doggies around the neighborhood.

Dean

Good morning all. Hope everyone is doing well!

Dean Thanks for the coffee bean update. I tend to buy big bags of beans at Costco, and they definitely don't have a big flavor selection. I need to buy some beans at the grocery store as a treat! Hope those blahs pass you by, but know how miserable it is during allergy season.
Jane Congrats on coming down some -- it will happen. Making up all those Easter baskets is definitely going to be a test. I made the mistake of buying the candy for the grands baskets last week. Will be buying more tomorrow!
Ubee The Co-op remains the primary source of my stress which means I really don't have a whole lot to complain about. Hope you get a good nap in and can feel rejuvenated. I so admire your caring and giving that you do with your family and simultaneously work on keeping you healthy. Lots on your plate (metaphorically speaking, that is).
Fi Oh my. I don't know if I could force myself to become inefficient even in the name of getting healthier. Interesting observations and studies though......explains a lot about some of the people with whom I worked who only got half of what they should have gotten done completed. Now that I think about it, they were all thinner!
Sam Good for you on the lunch and love your observations about breaking habits from childhood on cleaning your plate. So true!
SilentArctic Hang in there. Sounds like you're still getting a wide variety of exercise. If you're not socializing much, you're definitely having a bad case of the blues or post-vacation blahs, or end-of-winter syndrome. Hope each day seems a little better for you.

Time to go to the gym. I did get the upstairs cleaned yesterday, will do the basement apartment today, and want to try to get the windows washed soon. My older nephew and the grands are coming on Friday to do some maintenance work on the house. I need to figure out what to feed them that won't result in a meltdown for me. Have a great day.

Dean 8 O'Clock coffee is probably my favorite that you can buy at the store. It is affordable and tastes really good. The hazelnut is really good, but my favorite is the french roast...so dark and rich mmmm....I tend to like my coffee pretty strong when I drink it.

Ubee I haven't always been such a positive person...I don't really think I'm much of a positive person now, but I have gotten a lot better. I'm working for the positiveness in my life and that is what has helped me along. I am a HUGE worrier, especially when it comes to DH. I used to worry about bills, as I'm sure we all have at some point, but I'm now in a place where I make sure I pay all of my bills first and then work with what I have left over...I tend not to worry so much about having food to eat for some reason...I think at 27 years old I've accomplished quite a lot.

For all of you having to make Easter baskets or give out candy, I am so feeling for you right now!! I did eat a snack size kit kat (was about a 1 inch piece), and a fun size bag of robin's eggs today...There were only about 5 in the pack. I've been craving sweets this week and carbs, but I have done a pretty good job at staying away from them from the most part.

My arms feel like wet noodles as I type this. I wasn't going to work out at all today and just use today as my 2nd rest day of the week, but kicked myself in the butt and decided to at least lift some weights. I worked my arms out to the max..harder than I ever had since I didn't do any cardio...I'm sure my arms will feel how my legs feel right now by tomorrow (last night was leg night).

Part of me is starting to get a little nervous about this week's weigh in. I guess because I want so bad to break the 40 lb mark that that little voice in my mind keeps telling me that I won't do it and when I get on the scale I'll have gained. I haven't really done anything out of the ordinary as far as exercise or eating goes...I haven't been eating with my home made salad dressing this week, but I've been using the bottled stuff more sparringly than I would my home made stuff. I did eat 2 brownies earlier in the week too...like I said my sweet tooth has reared its ugly little head this week....I guess I'm just getting to where I think I'm going to plateau and that is what makes me nervous. I don't know if I can make it through a plateau...I know it will happen eventually but I feel like I'm so far in and haven't plateaued yet that certainly it's bound to come any moment. I just keep telling myself to keep my head down and push on. Maybe its my birth control making me some what emotional? I haven't taken birth control since I was 17 so it's kind of a new thing for me in a sense. Anyway I'll stop babbling lol....

I'm off to have left overs for dinner...spaghetti squash with a turkey meat sauce....Hopefully my noodle arms can lift my fork!!!

I was thinkin' tonight about the way certain patterns repeat themselves over the years, with important variations. When I was a teenager livin' in my parents' house—never thought of it as my house, even when I was a little girl, always my parents' house—I used to get up in the middle of listenin' to my favorite rock-n-roll radio show, grab my wallet 'n' car keys, leave the house without tellin' anyone, and get in my car, where as soon as I turned the key in the ignition, my favorite rock-n-roll show would be playin' again, barely havin' missed 15 seconds of the tune. Then I'd pull out and hit the freeway, drive & drive to nowhere at all, pick up some diet soda and a sugary treat, and eventually come back.

All my life, I've repeated that pattern. It's part of my sense of bein' a woman, not a little girl anymore, that I can drive on the freeway at night, listenin' to rock-n-roll, whenever I feel like it.

Now as recently as last April, I'd walk out the door in the middle o' my favorite rock-n-roll radio show, free as a bird, not tellin' a soul that I was leavin', turn the radio on in my car, and go hit the Beltway. I'd drive & drive to nowhere at all, end up at a Starbucks drive-in window, and eventually come back.

Tonight I did the very same thing again, thrilling to the T-shirt 'n' sandals weather, just like Houston all year 'round, where I grew up. I cruised on the Beltway to the sound o' rock-n-roll, went to Starbucks, and came back.

But this pattern has little but very important variations. When I was a teenager, the radio had frequent and annoying commercials. Now with satellite radio, just like with college radio in the 1980s, it no longer does. And last April, my trip to Starbucks meant buyin' at least four of their big oatmeal cookies. But tonight, all I bought was a couple of vente-size decafs, black.

Yes, I'm countin' my blessings tonight. Well over 40 years later, I'm still happy to be a woman, with car keys and a nearby freeway to go cruisin' on. I'm so very grateful for rock-n-roll, for a terrific live deejay, and for radio without commercials. I'm grateful, too, tonight, that I didn't have to buy something sugary, to feel as free as a bird in the wind. And I'm very grateful indeed that when I come back, it's my house.

Fi-Loooove the sound of that. Getting out for a nice ride with the radio. Makes me think of the drive-in. I'm very lucky, right outside of town we still have a drive-in. We also have some stellar country roads tailor made for a little stress release.

I've gotten rid of my old cars(only so much time in the day), but still have the motorcycle and a mini clubman. I think I see what I'm going to do this weekend!

Have a great day!

Dean

Hey all. I've had no internet at home so I've been away.

But having a good week, my running partner and I went out 3 times this week and are moving onto week three of the couch to the 5K....

Hope you are all doing well

I'm having issues with my boyfriend and I'm pretty sure that corporate is coming down to give me the axe today before the sale goes through. I had the mother of all tension headaches yesterday and went to bed at 8:00. And I haven't gotten any exercise since Tuesday. Still hanging on to 3/4 pound of water weight.

Hoping for a better weekend. Headache is still here.