Let's see how this goes!

Amy (Aphil)

Most of you know me...but for those of you who don't, here is a quick rundown:

I am in my early thirties, a married mother of three children (Jasmine-8, Raiden-5, and Saber-6 months) and I am a professional belly dancer/dance teacher. My husband is is named Jason, and he is Native American (Oglala Sioux) and he is an engineer in the auto industry. He works in glass tempering. He basically builds the furnaces that temper safety glass-making it so when you get in an accident, the glass breaks up into chunks, rather than sharp shards.
My weight issues stem from #1-emotional eating/stress binging every now and then, and #2-being a gestational diabetic. This causes me-even when on a proper diet and regular exercise-to gain a lot of weight when I get pregnant, and to have very large babies. (my smallest was a 9#3 preemie). So, after each baby, I have a lot of weight to lose. Saber was our LAST...so I am aiming at lifelong maintenance once I hit goal.


I am SORE. I have been hitting a lot of double workouts lately, since I have been teaching class 3x a week. Yesterday I did strength training with the focus on abs/core early in the day...and I taught my beginning class last night.
Saber has his 6 month checkup this morning, so I won't be able to workout until early afternoon. I am planning on doing some cardio, and then some dance technique work afterwards. Aiming for 1 hour+ of exercise today.
I have been 100% on plan with my eating for the past week-which is good. My weigh in last week I was down 3.7 pounds...so when I weigh in at the beginning of the week hopefully my results will be good.

How is everyone else doing?

Good Morning again and Dang It All, I just spent 30 minutes gabbing and commenting to everyone and our electricity went off long enough to lose everything. I'll try again and if we lose it again, have a great day everyone.
Bobbi

Here we go again!
Tuesday's and Wednesday's calories are on the other thread, I'll spare you my menu's.

Allison...I loved the "Cooking Light" Magazine and still have quite a few in my cupboard. I cancelled the subscription because I have enough cook books to open up a store. Please share any recipes you find that are awesome!

Rai... Thanks for the early Congrats on turning 62. I turn 62 in about 3 months but you have to register for Social Security 3 months ahead of time. Tell your dad that he is already a senior citizen and can get all the discounts, you're considered a senior citizen at 55 years of age.

Woodlily... Great calories and keep up all those gallons of water.

Cablgurl... Great calories for you too and congrats on the lost pound.

I'm going to send this and continue since the lights are flashing.

Chloe...... I think everyone has days like that, I don't often but yesterday I wasn't satisfied with anything. I usually have homemade vegetable soup in the freeze and I thawed that out. I had a huge bowl with my regular lunch and it helped. Then I was craving something sweet which is unusual for me. (I like Salty) My mom used to bake the extra pie crust with Cinn/Sugar when we were small and I had that on my mind. So I used a lite Flat Out, sprayed it with ICBINB, sprinkled Cinn/Stevia on it and baked until crisp in the Toaster oven. I was finally sated after that. I know some of you don't like using Splenda, I eat tons of it. I picked up a box of the Stevia packets at our health food co-op and there're not bad.


Susan...BeeGees? How old are you?

Bobbi-I also like the Cooking Light magazine. My favorite one though, is "Light & Tasty". Have you ever read an issue?

Most of the recipes in it are sent in by people themselves, and they also have a section in it where in each issue they makeover a fattening recipe sent in by a reader, to make it more figure friendly. They have special sections in it as well for those who are diabetic, watching their carbs, etc.
They have a lot of quick recipes, and a lot of comfort food type recipes in it as well.

One last time and I'm outta here!

Robin...I laughed when you said, "No glasses" when reading my post. Remember how old I am? Guess why I write so big? I have to get my face next to the computer when reading most posts Great calories yesterday at 1150!

Cacmsc... I hated coming home from work and starting supper so I used my crock pot two or three times a week. There are a zillion "Crock Pot" sites with recipes too!
Have you tried using a slow cooker?

Aphil... Hi There! A Belly Dancer huh? Is that you in the picture with the pretty green eyes? Years ago in my fantasies I wanted to be Scarlett O'Hara but with red hair and green eyes
I love the name of your son Saber, very unique!
Hi to everyone else including all the "Old Fashion Gang"
I'm really going to shut up now and go make breakfast.
Bobbi

Okay, I lied! I just wanted to comment on Aphil message. I've read the Lt & Tasty magazines at my dentist office and I like them too. I have 8 hard book editions of the "Taste of Home" and the "Quick Cooking" which I think are put out by the same company as the Light and Tasty. I love to cook and use these cook books all the time.
Now I really have to make breakfast before our power goes out.

Bobbi-yes, that is me in the photo. Thank you for the compliment. I was actually a couple months pregnant with Saber when it was taken. A really great photographer named Tony Franz took it.

There is another photo in my profile-I was 2-3 months pregnant in that one, too. I am a little sweaty in it though-I had just finished dancing in a coffeehouse when it was snapped.

Thanks for the compliment about Saber's name. My husband is a huge Star Wars and sci-fi fan, and we are both in the 501st (if anyone saw the RoseBowl parade...) and he always wanted a sci-fi name for one of our children. I was opposed to Anakin, or Luke/Leia or anything too obvious, so I chose Saber (from lightsaber).

His middle names are Phoenix Tyree-he was named after my paternal grandmother who passed away a few years ago. Tyree was her Scottish maiden name, and in mythology, the Phoenix is a magical bird who lives to be very old, and then bursts into flame when it passes. Then it reincarnates itself into a "new baby" from its own ashes. I like to think that part of her has maybe come through in him.

Now you go and make breakfast...I need to get Saber to his checkup!
I'll be back later to report exercise and food.

Well good morning to you all. I guess we've been merged!!!!

Aphil I LOVE your kids names, just love them.

A real quick summary. I am 43, married and have 3 daughters 19, 17 & 15. Yes, the 2 year plan, I wanted it over and done with. But now I've got THREE TEENAGED DAUGHTERS - YIKES. Anyway, they are my world.

I was mildly overweight til my early 20's, I hovered in the 130's. My weight steadily increased as I got married almost 21 years ago and had the kiddies. I never really yo-yoed, I just went up and up and up. To make a looong story short, I just got totally and completely disgusted with myself (thank G-d) and finally, finally decided enough is enough. I couldn't take the inactivity anymore and the constant worries. I finally realized that I can absolutely DO something about my weight, that it IS within my power and on September 4, 2006 I totally and completely changed my lifestyle. Started counting calories, eating healthy stuff and exercising. And the rest as they say is history.

I am looking forward to this new combined thread. Posting my daily calories helps to keep me accountable. I have a tough night coming up on Sunday, big family dinner at my SIL, who is a fabulous cook/hostess.

Wednesday's calories - about 1200

Have a great and healthy day everyone!!!

Yesterday was a tough day, at 1346 calories were a little higher than i would have liked them to be. While making dinner my stove shut down and we were not able to heat it up again, not sure what is wrong with it, dh and i are both home from work tomorrow we plan on fixing it then. for now we will be eating leftovers

I have been using recipes from the slimfast website and i also use looneyspoons and crazyplates they are low fat cookbooks with alot of fun facts and good cookin

Hi to everyone! I got a little confused with this merger as I didn't see the poll thread until just now ... I guess the reason being because of the time difference between the US and Hong Kong ... so while everyone else was voting ... I was sleeping Anyway, I'm happy to post on either thread.

Just to put everyone in the picture of who I am ... I'm 44, married for almost 21 years, with two kids ... son 18, and daughter 14. I'm from the UK but I've been living in Hong Kong for the past 6 years due to hubby's job. I was slim throughout my teenage years and early 20's ... kids came along in my late 20's ... and so did the extra weight!! Yo-yo'd up and down for years ... but for the past couple of years there have been more ups than downs!!

So, here I am again, hoping that this time I will finally be able to get my old self back ... I know I'm inside this body somewhere!!

Catch up with you all again tomorrow ... For me its now time for bed ... Night, night!

Hi Gurlz I'm 38, just had my first baby named Lisa Angeline 8 months ago, and I work as a corporate attorney in New York City. I've lived here since I was a teenager, and plan to move to Tampa, FL in a few years..my sister is moving there in a few weeks so there will be lots of long weekend vacations coming up. As for my weight issue, I've always had to watch my weight but managed to stay in the "normal" range until I got pregnant. 8 months later and I'm still trying to get this baby weight off, and it is coming off, albeit slowly, thanks to your help friends. I feel I have some valuable insights about maintaining weight when that has been a life long struggle (I'm certainly not the naturally thin type). Hey, its a manageable struggle however and so worth it.

I was high yesterday at 1980 calories, and I only did 40 minutes on the elliptical at the gym rather than 1 hour. I cannot wait til my home elliptical arrives..its is STILL delayed and I'm just dying to get going on it IN MY OWN HOME. Sometimes I just want to get home and relax for a bit, see my baby, THEN work-out, or somedays I don't leave the house at all. Given my large appetite, this seems to be my only hope to reaching my goal before summer.

Have a great day all.

*Claudia*

Hello again...

Before I say one more word, I have to, must, insist on thanking you guys for being such girlfriends. Really! The PM's and the nudges, well wishes, pushes, slaps are all soooooo appreciated! I never thought I'd get this here and I can't thank you enough.

Yesterday I ate a chicken caeser salad and today I promise myself to eat three times. Even if it's just an apple. Still no appetite, but much less weepy.

I am in Stage 4 (depression) after getting through the first three stages (denial, anger, and bargaining). After this stage, comes acceptance, and I do believe I see a horizon out there. I really do! It's a long ways away and I'll get tired of swimming, but dammit if I haven't learned to tread water.

I went and got my body fat and measurements done today and I am so, so happy!

I lost a total of 8.5 inches on my entire body and gained a half inch on my chest (bench presseses) and half inch on my calves (running). I am so excited guys!

And here's a kicker. My oldest daughter MADE ME get a personal ad at Yahoo. You know what I mean, right? So I did it to shut her up and I've been there six days. I got 138 e-mails so far. Okay... so some of those guys look like they just got out of prison, and others look like they need to GO to prison, but I've chatted with two who are lovely, lovely people.

So yesterday, one drove from Albany, NY to have lunch with me in Southeastern Connecticut. We're talking almost four hours one way. He's a fighter pilot with the USAF and he melted me. Not in a stupid way where I'm going to fall into a stupid trap, but in the way one melts when one is in the presence of a MAN!

Lordy, Lordy, if this man wasn't sexy as all get out. Sometimes all a girl needs is to be NOTICED to turn things around just a bit.

So he leaves for Iraq TODAY (which is why he insisted on lunch yesterday) and he'll be gone for EIGHT MONTHS and then he'll be back in Newport, RI which is a jump, hop, and a skip from me. We'll write and talk by phone and I'll bake high-calorie cookies to send. And it's not a promise of a new relationship by any means, but man! It just feels so good when a man looks at you and gets a little bit gaga and stupid and stuttery. Yeah... he flies those jets and I make him nervous. Yippee for me!

Man No. 2 is equally lovely and much more local but we haven't met.

So no..... I'm not suggesting that I need a man to be complete (you kidding???) but doesn't it feel good to be wanted!

And ladies, again, my sincerest and humblest appreciation for extending a hand to me when I was at my lowest!

I promise to eat. I promise to run. I promise to lift. And I promise to stick around.

As for these cigarettes, well... we got Detox and we got Hetox. To **** with all bad habits!

;-)

PS - If you want to read the profile (good for a laugh or two), search personals at yahoo for a 47-year-old female in zip code 06355. You'll recognize the mug shot!

And mami, you native New Yorker, I'm planning to spend a day in the city! Would love to meet you for lunch!!!

I've never really got myself into these chatting threads, but I'm going to try with this one. A quick summary: I'm 23 and hovering in the 190s. I've been struggling with my weight since my early teens. I've battled OCD since then and am still an emotional eater. I'm currently in college, and although it can be easy to eat right, I'm finding it hard to find time to exercise. I know that's a poor excuse, but I'm trying. For the last few days, I've made myself get up an hour early to do yoga.

Yesterday was not a good day. It was my Dad's birthday, and my Mom made homemade Stroganoff, which is a rarity. I can never resist my Mom's cooking when it's from scratch. There was also banana cream pie, but I didn't have a piece. Instead, I ate a handful of oatmeal cookies and like 10 mini reece's cups. Overall, my calories came to about 2500. Eek.

Today will be a better day.