Hi all. No news to report on the scale because we got to bed late on Friday and Saturday morning when the alarm rang I was tired and crampy so I slept in. It was a pretty good weekend food-wise even with us going into the city for dinner on Saturday. We went to a place in Tribeca, an area south of Greenwich Village and just north of the WTC. I read something online about certain restaurants that had helped (feed, gave shelter) to rescue workers and those fleeing the attacks that were now being threatened with closing if business didn't improve. We had a fabulous dinner - I guess I did so-so program wise. I had a pretty low point appetizer and dinner but their garlic bread was out of this world and a had a couple of pieces more than I should have.

I will be going to my meeting next week and hope to see a loss at best and a maintain at worst - I'm certainly going to work hard this week for it.

Judy
163.6/157/135

Hi everyone.

Judy 0 I'm glad to hear you were able to enjoy a great dinner on Saturday. MMM - garlic bread is a killer, especially when it's really good. Hard to pass up. I'm sure you'll work your way to a loss next week.

My weekend was so/so food-wise - could have been worse, could have been better. I'm still working towards a loss at the scale this Wednesday. I'm trying to convince myself to leave the office and pick up some lunch (and a new notebook to use as a journal) but I don't think I will. Luckily I have a frozen dinner I can pop into the microwave. I'm coming down with a cold (actually my darling daughter has given one to me) and am feeling worn out and generally yucky. Not much of an appetite, which isn't a bad thing.

Talk to you all later.

Carla

Hi Carla & Judy,

I have that cold, too! My coworkers shared theirs with me, isn't that nice.

And my neighbors got 2 dogs and let them bark in the back yard all night.

Needless to say I'm not too pleased, but hopefully I won't wreck my diet over that.

It is soooooo Monday!!!

Hi Judy, I saw a report on the Tribeca restaurants, thanks for supporting them. I really want to come to NYC to do my part to help out, not to mention the sheer pleasure of some great food and a play, but won't be able to make it until after the first of the year, and I soooo hate cold weather! Maybe an early Spring trip is in the making. Glad you kept it pretty much on program!

Carla, feel better! How about some good old fashioned chicken soup? Has anyone tried the Tabachnick frozen soups? I just love them, and they're really low fat, plus made with all natural ingredients. The brocolli is to die for!

Jennifa, it's Monday here too, in fact it felt like Monday all weekend. I hope tomorrow starts off like a normal Tuesday for both of us.

I've been OP all weekend, though I have been eating at the top of my points range for a couple of days. I think it's good to change things around once in a while just to keep the body from getting used to the same thing all the time. I've decided to change weigh in to Wed. since I last weighed in then. Maybe I'm trying to keep the scale guessing too.

Talk to you soon

Judy - Glad to hear you had a good dinner out Saturday night. I'd have a really hard time with the garlic bread. You'll get that loss next week.

Carla - Sorry to hear you are starting with a cold. Must be a lot of that going around now. Fortunately mine didn't get too bad, but now Laura is starting with one.

Jennifa - Sorry to hear you have a cold too. Those dogs would have driven me crazy. Hope your day got better.

Karen - Way to go staying OP all weekend. That is a major accomplishment.

I started counting points at dinner last night and was able to stay OP today. I think I'm going to like this way of counting. It gave me a mental boost to know that when I got home from work my eating day was just starting and I had all my points to work with. It looks like I had a 2 lb gain over the last two weeks. I have got to get serious about counting my points all the time and staying OP. No walking today...its raining again!

Talk to you tomorrow.
Pat
(178/150!!/135)

Carla - I'm sorry to hear that you are coming down with a cold. Lots of liquids (water) - good for the cold and good for program. I know you'll do well on the scale tomorrow. Please take care of yourself!

Jennifa - sorry to hear that you have a cold too and that you didn't get a lot of sleep on Sunday night. I know when I'm tired it's extra hard to stay OP. I hope you managed OK yesterday.

Karen - varying points is a good way to go - there's nothing wrong with eating at the top of your range. It would be great if you came to NY in the spring. Late spring would probably better than early if you don't like the cold. March can be a little chilly - I remember the day my step daughter got married (March 29th) and it snowed in the morning!

Pat - sorry to hear about the gain but I know you'll get that off soon. Isn't counting points from dinner a great feeling? I don't get "anxious" about how many points I have left and a low-point breakfast and lunch is never a problem for me. I can't belive it's raining again! Do you have any tapes you can do?

I had a pretty good day yesterday - I managed to come in below my maximum even with all the nail biting of the Yankee game (go Yanks!). I did some free weights and plan on doing a step tape this afternoon (I'm taking the afternoon off). That should help work off some of that garlic bread! I really like counting points starting at dinner - for some reason it seems so much easier to stay in my range when I don't have to stress how many (or few points) I have left in the evening.

Judy

Judy - Hope you enjoyed your afternoon off. I was thinking of you last night while watching the game (and about how late it was in New York). I really like starting to count points at dinner too. Although I ate too many points tonight, I know I can really limit the damage by eating low points at breakfast and lunch. I do have some tapes I could do, but it's hard to get them in unless I get up early. The rain finally stopped today, but I had to take Laura to the dentist after work and it was dark by the time I got a chance to get out. I'm going to make a real effort to get out tomorrow.

Carla & Jennifa - I hope you aren't both down with those colds.

Talk to you later.
Pat

Hi Pat, I'm glad you found a way to count points that works for you. It's amazing what a difference it makes! So, did you get out and exercise this morning? I'm still struggling with it myself, in fact it's been 3 days since I did any serious exercise, so I must play catch up today.

Judy, thanks for the "weather report". YIKES!! Yes, late spring sounds much better. Or Fall, changing of the leaves and all. I haven't seen that in many years. Congrats on getting caught up on your deficit, you're doing great!

Ahh, the weather is beautiful, it's cold! We don't get much of a Fall here in Florida, so I'm really enjoying it. I actually did a short walk this morning, but really need to get serious now that the weather is cooperating. Weigh-in this morning: lost 2.5 pounds this week! WOOHOO! I'm still hoping to break the 200 barrier by the end of the month but it will be close! Went through part of my closet yesterday and sorted out some clothes that no longer fit to take to a local charity, that was fun! Have a good day everyone!

Pat - Yes, the game was late but great! Of course, we're always excited when the Yankees win but this year, well, it was pretty special - the city needs good news! I'm glad the rain has finally stopped. It's a real fall day here and I hope to get out for a walk at lunch. I'm glad counting points from dinner is working for you. I ate a few too many points last night but know I can make up for it with a low point breakfast & lunch.

Karen - WOW! Great loss - you are doing great. Isn't it great to get rid of clothes that are too big? Way to go on getting in that walk. I'm hoping to do the same thing today. I love the fall - the leaves are changing now and they are so beautiful.

I did OK yesterday. I did all of the new step tape - wow, was it tough. I'm slowly building up my cardio capacity back from before I had bronchitis and I'm getting there but I still have a little way to go. I did manage to wipe out my deficit and add some points in the bank though. I had a bunch of snacks last night - went higher on points than I had planned but I had a low point breakfast and should do just fine with what I have for lunch. I had popcorn late last night and to say that the sneak peek this morning was frightening is an understatement. My rings are very tight though so I know it's water. I'll be guzzling water all day to flush it out. I think I have to get raw veggies to snack on while we watch the Yankees today (the latter part of the game since it starts at 4PM - hmmm, sounds like a plan!

Judy

Hi everyone.

Missed you all yesterday. I was in an all-day meeting. Sigh.

Jennifa - I hope you're feeling better and that your neighbors have taken better control over their dogs.

Karen - Congratulations on another awesome loss! I'll be rooting for you to break that 200 barrier! I see that Tabachnik soup at the store all the time and I've often thought I should pick some up. Now I will. Soup just feels so nourishing and its really such a great fast dinner. I've been feeling the urge to get to New York as well. I've only been there on business before and I would especially love to visit Ellis Island, since my maternal grandparents and my paternal great-grandfather passed through there. And I'd love to visit the library and the museums. I want to go when I can get a fresh tomato sandwich at Judy's house.

Pat - I'm sorry to hear about that gain, but I'm glad to hear that counting points starting with dinner is helping you. One of these days I'll give it a try perhaps. I hope your able to get your walk in. I have some tapes too that I never get around to doing. Maybe we can pick a tape day next week and both get up early and do it.

Judy - Go Yankees! I'm not much of a baseball fan, although I'm disappointed our Cubbies crashed and burned, but I really would like the Yankees to win it all this year because.... well, just because they should. Re: counting points starting with dinner - I know that you've struggled with night time snacking. Were you/are you much of a daytime snacker? I tend to do most of my snacking during the day, so I'm wondering if starting my "points day" at dinner might be counter-productive for me.

I've very pleased that my hard work last week paid off with a two pound loss today. I'm very relieved too as the past couple of days have been off for me. Monday John ordered dinner out before I got home and I had a bit too much pasta and, yes, garlic bread. Yesterday we had lunch out and while the entree wasn't too bad - gnocchi in arabiatta sauce - oooh the bread and olive oil was so good. Then I just lost in in the late afternoon. I think it was a combination of this cold getting me down and realizing that the new job I'm taking on might not be the best fit for me. Oh well, I'm just picking myself up and dusting myself off and starting all over again. (What song is that from?) Tonight I'm having my monthly dinner out with my friend (although it's been more than a month since our last dinner). I've had a low point breakfast and will have a low point lunch and I'll just enjoy my dinner with no regrets.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla
266/260/140 (239 - 1st 10%)

Hi all,

Well, yesterday my cat and I were enjoying the sunset from our front yard and the *(&#$(# dog came barrelling after the cat. The owner did not even apologize. Very nice, isn't it. Later on I saw the dogs running loose around the block. Some people. There is a little thing called a leash law... At least they have cured the barking in the yard business. I can't stand it when people don't train their dogs. It makes people dislike dogs when it's not the dog's fault.

On the brighter side... it seems my clothes are looser but I weighed in today at 209 (with my shoes and clothes on). This is down 5 pounds from my top weight on that same scale. I am retaining water right now, it's a loss, I'll take it. I haven't been that great OP in the last few weeks, time to get strict.

Sounds like you all have a grip on how to handle the setbacks. I think I am going to follow your advice, guzzle the water, exercise more (haven't been on the bike in a while but that's what the indoor cycle is for... and I haven't been to yoga in (yikes!) 3 weeks! So I'll take that 5 pounds. I know it is a lot more than that but a few pounds have crept back on. Off, pounds, off!

Carla - WOW - great loss!!!!!! Yes, enjoy your dinner. Forget about the slips - over and done with. I don't know where that phrase it from but it sure is familiar. You're on for a fresh tomato sandwich! You'll have to come to NY around late July or even better, August which can be pretty disgusting weather wise (if you, like me hate hot & humid) to get the tomatoes at their best. Of course the ferry rides (to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty) are great in the summer. I loved visiting Ellis Island. My maternal grandparents passed through Ellis Island (my paternal parents were immigrants too but they came from Europe via South America and I'm not sure if they came through Ellis Island). Yes, I am definitely an evening snacker. I rarely snack during the day - once in a while if I leave work late I'll get some pretzels on the way home but for the most part during the day I am fine going snackless. I'm not sure if counting from dinner would help.

Jennifa - great loss!! Way to go!! I'm sorry to hear that the problems with your neighbor's dogs continue. Usually it's the owners that are the problem and not the dogs but the dogs get the blame. Have you considered saying anything to them? Yup, guzzle that water and get on that bike. It's been a while since I did any yoga too. The problem is that I can't put any weight on my right arm/shoulder so that rules out a couple of poses. Still, I think I want to try AM Yoga tomorrow because I am really tight.

Judy

Karen - Congratulations on the great loss. Good job getting in a walk even if it was short. I find that even doing a little exercise helps keep me in the right frame of mind.

Judy - Way to go getting rid of the deficit and banking points. The raw veggies to snack on during the game sounds like a good idea. Did you try it/did it work?

Carla - Congratulations on a great loss. You did work hard for it. Hope you enjoyed your dinner out. I'm willing to try getting up early for a tape day next week. I hate to think of all the tapes that I have that I've only done a couple of times. I wish I could get a treadmill, but right now I don't have the room. Some day when the kids move out I'll get one.

Jennifa - Way to go on the loss. Sorry you are still having dog (neighbor) problems. I'm having a kitten problem at Tue/Thurs job. My boss has the office in his house and he just got his kids a kitten. I'm allergic to cats, but don't get too bad if they stay away from me. Of course, most of the time I'm in the house by myself and the kitten has decided my chair is the best place to lay whether I'm sitting in the chair or not!

The high point dinner last night put me a little over points, but I hope to make up some of that tomorrow. I told Darrell I had to get in a walk today so we went out as soon as I got home from work.

Talk to you later.
Pat

Pat - Way to go for enlisting Darrell! Did you enjoy the walk? I'm sure you'll be able to make up the points spent on that dinner.

I had a good day yesterday. I did cut up some raw veggies and munched them during the game. I'm very proud of myself for something that happened during the evening. When we sent shopping last week, Halloween candy was on sale so we bought some. I picked out stuff that I don't like (non-chocolate) and Tony picked up a couple of small bags of Kit Kats and Milky Ways. We made a deal that they had to stay in the basement unopened until Halloween. Well last night Tony told me he was in the mood for some chocolate and I knew what he wanted. I went down to the basement and calculated what one of the small Kit Kats were (2 points) and brought two upstairs. I gave one to Tony and I ate one (one bar first and the second bar about an hour later). It was very yummy (Kit Kats are one of my favorites) and very satisfying. I decided I'm going to work in one bar each evening (if I feel like it) - that way I won't feel deprived and at the same time (hopefully) I won't be tempted to go downstairs and grab a handful. So far, so good.

Have a great one,
Judy

Hi everyone.

Judy - Hmmm. I hate hot and humid weather also, but to get a fresh tomato sandwich...... Great job on cutting up those veggies for the game. And a huge pat on the back to keeping to one Kit Kat. And how did you manage to put 1/2 of it down to finish later? Awesome.

Pat - Great job getting out for that walk and enlisting Darrell as well. I hope the kitten learns to leave you alone. So - Monday or Wednesday of next week would work as a tape day for me. Want to pick?

Dinner last night was lovely. Best of all, I walked to the restaurant - 19 blocks. It sure did feel good to be moving about. And it was great weather for walking - cool but not cold. I'll have to keep how good that walk felt in the back of my mind so I can get my butt out of bed for tape day next week.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla