Starting the topic. Be right back.

Just a quick note. I stayed up way too late Friday night and opted to sleep in rather than going to my meeting I'm promising myself not to let that happen this week. I had a so-so weekend. The food choices for lunch at the children's holiday party on Saturday were all high point foods. Tony and I went out to dinner that evening too - I could have made better choices but I could also have made worse. I think it helped that Tony and I split an appetizer and split a main course. I was OP yesterday and plan on being OP food-wise this week. While I don't have an "official" weight to post, my sneak peek this morning shows it would have been a maintain, so that's what I'll stick with this week until the official weigh in on Saturday when I hope to see a loss.

Judy
163.6/157.6/135

Hi everyone, hope you all had a good weekend.

Judy, sounds like you did just fine this weekend. Maintain is good!

Michele, you did excellently! Wow, you must be so excited about smelling that goal!

I did just okay, had a couple of overpoint days, but had enough banked so don't feel badly. I do think I have to spend more time planning meals, which I have slacked off on lately. Garrott and I went to counseling this morning, just a meeting to direct us to the "right" counselor, so things are moving right along. The puppies are becoming quite active and so much fun! Hope you all have a great day, and Happy Hanukkah!

Hi everyone.

Jennifa - Sounds like you keep plenty active! Hope hanging up those lights helped chase the holiday blues away.

Michele - You had an awesome weekend! Keep up the good work. That goal will be yours1

Judy - Sorry to hear you had an iffy weekend, program-wise. But a maintain during the holiday season is great. And good for you and Tony for splitting the appetizer and entree.

Karen C - If you had banked points, then your over point days were completely on program. No harm done. I'm glad to hear that things are moving along for you and Garrott. My wish for you is that making it through this rough spot makes your marriage stronger and better than its ever been.

I had an ok weekend. Didn't really do any damage, so to speak. However, I continue to have a problem getting in my water over the weekend. I'm really going to have to schedule my water drinking on weekends to make sure I get it in. As a result I seem to be retaining water again. This morning's sneak peek was horrifying, but I realize that its water retention. No way did I gain 6 pounds in two days. So I'm a guzzling fool today, that's for sure.

Have a great day.

Carla

Hi all! Well sneak peak was not a liar, I am -3 pounds today. Total of unofficial 18.4 and official 13. I am so happy. 6.6 pounds from cruise goal and I think I might make my Christmas wish of making my official 10% by weigh in on the 24th, which I still need to find out if they are having or I will have to go another day.

Carla-that water weight is a nasty thing. On the weekends, I try to have at least 3 glasses of water early then 3 glasses once I am home and don't have to worry about "finding a bathroom". I am finding that I am addicted to water now, always have a glass going somewhere. Keep up the good work, it will be gone soon.

Karen-I am go glad to hear that things are working out with you and your husband. My holiday wish for you is that you find whatever it is to "fix" things. The puppies sound great.

Judy-I am sure that you did fine, a maintain is a good thing. Especially around the holiday season. I slept in on Sat. too, did not go to Jazzercise but it felt so good to sleep in. Splittling dinner sounds like a great idea, too bad Steve and I don't like the same things. Or I should say, I don't like much and Steve thinks my menu limitations are boring!

Boss just walked in, post more later.

Michele, WOW! WOOHOO! You are doing great! Please explain this 10% you keep talking about. Is it 10% from goal? Thanks for the holiday wishes.

Carla, I agree with Michele, it has to be water weight. Also agree with her about being addicted to water. I tend to not drink it if I have places to go, and it always shows the next day on the scale. Thanks for the kind wishes.

Michele - I'm doing the happy dance for you! That's one terrific loss. Isn't great to see your hard work paying off? I'll bet you'll make your 10% by the 24th.

Karen - I think that the 10% that Michele is referring to is losing 10% of your starting weight. I like drinking water too and have little to no problems getting it in during the week because I've developed a routine for it. Now I just have to do the same on the weekends.

As promised, I've been guzzling the water today. All those trips to the bathroom have to count as exercise, right? Actually, I decided to count the number of steps round trip to the bathroom and to the water cooler. I've been reading that we should aim to take 10,000 steps a day. I wanted to know what kind of dent I was putting in the 10,000. 170 round trip to the bathroom, 104 to the water cooler. Anything to amuse myself and distract myself from work.

Judy - Congratulations on the maintain. Good idea to split the appetizer and main course. A lot of times Darrell and I will get different main courses and then immediately split it in half to take home. Then we trade leftovers the next day.

Karen C - If you had points banked, then going over a couple days is still OP. Hope you are able to find the right counselor.

Carla - That gain has to be water. As you said, there is no way you could have actually gained that much in two days. Keep guzzling and hopefully it will be gone by weigh in. Hey, we are supposed to increase our everyday activity so those trips to the bathroom and water cooler have to count.

Michele - Way to go on another 3 lbs gone forever. You are doing great.

I had a so-so weekend. I did better on the snacking, but my meals weren't the greatest choices. My goal for next weekend is to make better meal choices.

Talk to you later.
Pat

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a great evening!

I did not go to Jazzercise last night I was just a lazy person yest. Stayed OP, but don't know what happened. Oh well, right back there tonight.

Karen-Carla is right, 10% is losing the first 10% of your starting weight. For me I started at 185, so 10% is 18.5 and official WW starting weight was 179.6 so 10% will be 17 (from 179.6), that is the goal I am shooting for xmas (162). At meetings you get a keychain when you reach it and I think that will be the best present I could get this year. I will get it eventually, but what a xmas gift it would make.

Carla-I think I will have to measure out all my steps to water and bathroom, good idea. It is a lot when you actually stop to think about it. Keep chugging

Pat-Thanks, you are doing great too. You will make that goal for this week, I am sure!

Things at work are heating up again, but hopefully now that everything is out in the open it will calm down once she actually accepts that he wants it over. She is in a state of denial and thinks if she just hangs on (forever) he will wake up and change his mind. He has offered her $$ to move out and help her get started over, he is being very generous as far as I am concerned and she is just being petty now. Time to suck it up and move on I am telling her. Nothing like dragging it out to really aggrivate him and take the deal off the table. Enough of my soap opera.

Have a great day!

Hi everyone.

Pat - What a great idea to switch left-overs with Darrell. I have problems with meal choices on weekends as well, mostly because it's prime opportunity for take-out and those choices are never good. Here's to a weekend of better choices for the both of us.

Michele - Sometimes you just need a break. Sounds like your body didn't want to up and move yesterday. Is the girlfriend planning on continuing with her job? What a hornet's nest you find yourself in. Hope it all calms down soon.

I had a great day yesterday and managed to bank 6 points. Tonight I'm finally going to decorate the house for Christmas, so it will be a light and easy dinner: grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. One of my problems is getting over the notion that putting a meal on the table means it has to be a big meal involving preparation and cooking and that it has to be hot. I come home tired and get discouraged and we end up ordering in. I have to keep reminding myself that it's quite alright to eat soup and sandwiches for dinner and even cold cereal, which is what Ana asks for quite a bit. She gets a hot lunch at day care every day and her teachers tell me she packs it away at lunch, so she really doesn't need a big dinner, and neither do John and I. No great earth-shaking revelation, but a change in thinking that will make a world of difference, I think, to my efforts.

Have a great day.

Carla

Wow, the day is almost over and I haven't gotten any emails that there have been postings to the thread, so It's a good thing I came to check. Michele, don't feel bad about missing jazzercise, you probably just need a little R&R. When I read your post I realized I hadn't gotten on the healthrider today, which I have been doing 20 minutes every day. I guess I need a break too. I enjoy reading about your soap opera at work, but I'm sure it's no fun for you. Hope she gets the message and goes away.

Carla - glad you had a good day. Good work on the menu planning and avoiding take out. Boy, you should live way out in the country like me, no chance of food delivery or running out for a pizza or chinese to bring home. Just thinking about driving to get food is a great deterrent for me. Have fun with the Christams decorations.

Pat, good for you for planning for the weekend already. This is probably the one thing that helps me the most.

Hi to Judy and Jennifa!

Today has been fine so far. I found myself all weepy and depressed over the 3 month anniversary, but managed to avoid any eating binges. I took a hint from Carla and had some full fat cheese, which really worked to cut my appetite. Tomorrow is weighin, I'm expecting a maintain. Have a good evening!

Karen C - You're right, living out in the country would be useful as a deterrent against take-out/delivery. Moving to the suburbs forced us to cut back quite a lot. When we lived in the city (which hasn't been for the last 11 years) we could get just about any kind of food we wanted delivered. I'm glad to hear you've avoided eating binges today.

to Judy, Jennifa, and Karen B.

Carla

Hi Carla, Karen C, Karen B, Judy, Pat, Garon, and Phoinix!

Hope I didn't miss anybody, if I did, well, hello.

Carla, eating a light dinner is TOTALLY in keeping with the Chopra plan. Check us out on the Diet Plans thread - WW fits like a dream, unless you eat a lot of processed foods.

I am hanging in there and working out like mad. Seems like all I ever do. Anyway, scales show up 3 pounds today but it's right before TOM. I'll take 3 pounds over my usual 10 ANY DAY!!

Yeah, I am splitting up the workouts. I ride for an hour at night and however long I can deal with in the mornings. I also am so happy at the new gym family members - exercise ball and weights! So I spend a LOT of time with those, too. I can tell my back and arms are starting to firm up. Hope the flab on top goes away FAST!

I am struggling a little today, good thing I'm fasting today. I hate being overweight. I want to sit and eat all the Christmas bonbons I can until I have to puke. Yet, here I am, not eating them, not even BUYING them, and drinking carrot juice. Sigh. How come chocolate isn't a health food????? THen I guess we'd be craving carrots.

So I am going to bottle up this feeling as a reminder of what it feels like to be FAT and give it to myself as a Christmas present on how to not feel sorry for yourself and get off the tush and do something about it.

Man am I harsh... but I want that thin weight sooo bad... dear Santa... please help me with the holiday parties!

Jennifa
216/203/170

Michele - Hope you made it to Jazzercise tonight. Sure hope things settle down at work soon.

Carla - Way to go on a great day. I have come to the same conclusion about dinners. A lot of evenings we all want to eat at different times. Laura is hungry when she comes home from school and Darrell is either working or going to his karate class and eating late. Darrell was always wanting to put a dinner on the table and then I was the only one eating it. I have finally convinced him that I'm fine with fixing breakfast foods or a WW dinner or some other small thing.

Karen C - Good luck at weigh in. Had to laugh about living in the country being a deterrent to eating out. My BIL lives in a small town and my kids can't believe they can't just grab fast food whenever they want. Unfortunately I'm within walking distance of several places and just a few miles from just about anything I would want.

Jennifa - Great job getting in the exercise. I'm joining you in the struggle to pass up those Christmas goodies. My sisters were talking at lunch today about making cookies this weekend. I just don't want to deal with them yet. I'll make a small batch of Darrell's favorite cookies the weekend before Christmas, but that's it. I refuse to let the goodies take over the house...especially since I realized I was baking for myself more than anyone else.

Today was a struggle, but I'm hanging in. I was hoping to get away from work early enough to do some shopping before Laura got off school, but instead I worked all afternoon. I'm feeling really stressed right now. Just too much to do and no time to get everything done.

Talk to you tomorrow.
Pat

Good morning!
Jennifa, with all that exercise, you will lose weight, hang in there!

Pat, I know just how your kids feel. When I go "out of town" and stay in a big city, it's like Christmas to me every day! Take it one day at a time and don't let the small stuff get you down!

Weigh in this morning: plus .5 pound. I'm not a happy camper. Looking back over my records, I have lost only 2 pounds in 4 weeks. Don't know what's going on. I had two weeks of below minimum points then last week was okay. I think I have to start getting serious about eating the right foods.