Welcome! Come on in and join us. We're a great group of friends from all over who come here to share the joys, frustrations and heartbreak of this weight loss journey. We're started at different points and are making progress in varying levels but we're here for each other. Come on in and pull up a cozy chair.

Hi, hope no one minds if I started a new thread. We were up to three pages and 30 posts.

I was going to post this morning but the dog is knocking at the garage door wanting up so I better go before he's scratching the door.

Just wanted to say hi and that I'm back on track thanks to this thread for inspiration. Bunny - thanks for the new recipe. Linda - I had to laugh about the eyebrows and legs. J-Ann - Bravo for you for losing 60 pounds and for people to finally notice. What a wonderful feeling.

got to run. More later!

Morning, ladies!

Terri -- thank you for starting a new thread. I dunno why but I'm phobic about it. Go figure.

Last night we tried the pork chops with port wine sauce and they were very, very good. I've mislaid (sob) the recipe though so it will have to wait for another day. I got a treat this morning -- usually we'd be out the door by 5 am for a buying trip but we slept in today because we're meeting a gal to buy some stuff from her later in the day instead. Nice.

Exercised yesterday for an hour; doing another hour today I hope. Yesterday I used the "hill" feature on the elliptical trainer. It was hard. More of the same today, I guess.

We're just home from lunch out -- Subway -- and off to run errands again next. The girls are coming with me and we'll be hitting the rec center while we're out (probably after the errands 'cause I'm often not up to errand-ing after a heavy workout). My husband is itching to open Christmas presents now 'cause I spent the morning wrapping them for under the tree. He strongly suspects that he's gettin' a GameCube and so he's dying to get playing instead of working through 'til Christmas. LOL! We also found a nice car top carrier today at Wal-mart which I'm hoping we'll buy before our holiday travel 'cause the station wagon is just plain not big enough to hold us all without some extra cargo space -- especially since I have to bring my computer/monitor along with us, ya know?!

Anyway -- I hope everything is good with all of you. Lilac, we miss you! And lurkers -- we miss you too!

Hi all,

Well, sometimes I really wonder about myself. I use a computer all day long and do quite advanced things. Yet, somehow I miss that you can go in and change the options here at 3FC. Geez. I just figured out today that you can set how many posts show on a page. I was wondering why no one was complaining about our thread being three pages long!

Now I just have to figure out how to make the print bigger on web pages while on AOL. Some of this stuff I can barely read.

I'm doing well with food this week. The WW etools is really helping me. I love the menu plans. It certainly has helped me keep focus. I'm doing okay with exercise too; especially since I still have the straggler of a cold.

I have a challenging weekend coming up. Saturday I have go to the parent's to help with horse stuff. She always has trigger foods. Then on Sunday we're doing the first Christmas dinner with the in-laws. I do have points banked so that will help. But it will be a challenge to eat small portions of everything I like. But that will be my goal. Eat small amounts and no guilt. The good thing about this is that our next family dinner isn't for a week so I will have time to recover. Otherwise, its a quiet holiday season.

I did manage to survive a goodie day at work. I only got three ritz crackers with cheese dip and one mini-chocolate cupcake. Cutest itty bitty cupcakes I've ever seen. Oh but you should have seen all the food....sausage and cheeses; banana bread; cinnamon rolls; dips, chips, crackers, cookies, donuts, cupcakes, pies and too much to remember. Frightening!

Bunny - You are so inspiring. We absolutely loved your seafood linquine. When is your next trip? All that work you're doing on the elliptical machine is going to make your hiking so much easier. You're really kicking butt on that thing!

I better go see what DH and dawg are doing. I'm hiding in the rec room tonight as I needed a break from everybody.

Have a great Friday!

Well Hello!!!!!

I am in transit from Australia, currently in Singapore airport awaiting my connecting flight to London.

What a time I have had! Here are the edited highlights:

Sydney, the opera, very big spiders, sydney harbour- want to buy a house there, sydney harbourbridge very nice, gormet food, tropical storms, the rainforest, the aboriginal culture, Uluru in the rain, very big spiders, gormet food, very hot weather, kingfishers, crocodiles, cassorwary (did not see) kangeroo (did not see and that is not ok with me on any level), kohala, the Great Barrier Reef, I snorkled! sunburn (ouch), big spiders, gormet food, the smell of ylang ylang, the smell of wild jasmine, the smell of gormet food.

There is so much to tell!

But guess what......I was burgled at home and my computer has been stolen!! So I am going to be relying on internet cafe's until I get a new one. Can you believe it? they also took my jewellry and all my credit cards bar the one I had, and my cheque books etc and they have had about eight thousand pounds of my cash! well, my credit.......luckily my insurance covers the cash, but dont know about the rest. I am dreading what I will find when I reach home (in about 17 hours time). Apparently they have emptied all my drawers and everything. I dont care about the stuff, just about my privacy, and the sanctity of my home

I found out on day three of my hol BUT I DID NOT LET THEM STEAL MY HOLIDAY!!!!

Love to everyone. I will be with you when I can and plan to get the computer sorted asap.
love
Lilac

Lilac -- it sounds like you've had quite a wonderful time -- even if some nasty folks back home tried to spoil it for you. I'm sorry to hear of your burglary. I know how violating that can feel. If there's anything we can do for ya -- what with us being across the ocean and all -- let us know.

Weigh in today -- down another 1.5# for a total of 41#! Yippee! Not as much as I'd hoped, not as little as it coulda been. I'm happy. I've adjusted my goal from Christmas to New Year's Day. And I'm considering another goal -- help me evaluate how realistic it is. My 12th anniversary is 3-24. I'd like to be below 200# by then -- what do ya think? I figure if I missed it, I'd move the goal to my birthday in May. LOL!

Oh, Lilac! I'm so sorry about the theft from your home. It has happened to me and I know just how you feel. In our case the thief turned out to be a close family member which made it all the more shattering.

We had a terrible wind storm here last night and I had no electricity for 14 hours. Sure cramped my style for the day. Even had to miss my WW WI because I couldn't operate the garage door opener. Luckily there is a WI tomorrow morning. I've never gone on a Saturday before so that will be a change. So, I was stuck home all day alone and you'd think at least I would get on my aero-glider or do my strength training exercises but I sat like a slug in front of the gas fireplace and read a book all day. At least I didn't eat everything in sight.

I've been staying OP and at the lower end of my points range all week. My clothes are definitely feeling looser but who knows what the scale will say. I'd so like to reach my 20 lb loss before Christmas.
Bunny you sure have been losing quicker than I. You must have a faster metabolism. I think if you keep up at the rate you've been losing you should probably make your goal for your anniversary. Even if you don't, you'll be much closer. Good luck.

Wah.

<whine>
This has been a most miserable weekend and I'm darn proud of myself for staying on program through it all. Someone who is more important than everyone else has decided that ruining businesses on Amazon.com is what they'd like for Christmas this year. So, using at least two IDs, they've bid on all the high end stuff in our category (significantly damaging three different big sellers, us included) and then immediately left negative feedback like, "seller sends us porno email takes forever to ship" on feedback profiles. Amazon isn't helping (heck, they aren't even replying to emails). Our sales this weekend were down 80% because all our best stuff was "bought" by this jerk. So today I have the unenviable task of telling my children that they will not be visiting their grandparents over Christmas (something they've been looking forward to all year -- its the first year we'd be there for the holidays). We can't afford to be out of town while this is going on -- and we have no way of being sure it won't be going on while we're gone. Even if we bring the computer (which we do), its a 14 hour drive during which all manner of mayhem can occur without me there to "fix" it as best I can. In addition, of course, the loss of income at this time is devastating. My husband I are returning the few gifts that were "new" (most were bought used at the thrift store, flea market, etc) to generate the $ needed to pay the rent, buy food, and so on. We aren't yet fully recovered from 9-11 (when the online sales market tanked in our arena) and this feels like the nail in the coffin. So I figure we need to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and remember why it is that this can't ruin the holidays.
</whine>

Ahem. All better now. I jus tneeded to get that out of my system. Anyway -- I'm hoping we'll get to go hiking again soon. Possibly over the holidays since we'll be here. LOL! And today I just have to exercise. I didn't make time over the weekend, 'cause I was tied to the computer dealing with stuff.

Linda -- looser clothing is my favourite thing! Ya know, if I was home alone without the electricity, I think a book and fireplace is what I'd do. Who wants to exercise and then shower in the dark?

Oh Bunny, what a nightmare for you! Why would this person do such a thing? I know that there is a mediation service on ebay that they use for conflict resolution, although I dont know if it would work for disagreements between you and the host (ie that they are being crap in not sorting this out for you, ). I hope it gets sorted.
My own tale of woe (I will come on to the travel report in a minute!!) is of course about the burglary. The theives got away with spending £20,000 on credit cards, that is about $30 000 in old money. Also my computer, our phones (why???!!!), all our jewellry (I live with a woman - you can imagine how much jewellry we had....), a mulberry (posh designer luggage) purse and spongebag (eh?), and my friends address book. Also a share certificate for we think about 6k worth of investments, and scariest of all, my birth certificate. And degree certificate. Phew. They left behind all the old electrical equipment we would have liked to replace, like the old tvs and hi fi systems, and that sort of thing. The only thing that is totally irreplacable is one pair of very beautiful earrings. and of course my computer info. ~But we are all ok and that is the main thing. I have insurance and all but about 2 thousand or so will be covered. Not that I can afford to be 2k down, but it is manageable in the scale of things. What is really going to cost is the security I now want to put in. I want an intruder alarm, and I want to secure the windows fully (they gouged the window locks right out of the timber to get access.)

But to happier things. My holiday! I emailed from Singapore but was in a bit of a state while I was there! the flight really took it out of me. I did fit in the seat though! and i could do up the seatbelt!
~Australia is a wonderful place. the colours are very intense. We started in Sydney. What a cool place! very much the place to see and be seen - coffee bars everywhere and very cool people, but not nasty - not that sort of NewYork/London type of cool that is so unapproachable and excluding, but instead a very happy and generous spirited type of vibe. I did a lot of going out for long lazy breakfasts, having coffee and muslie with yog. and fresh fruit...and reading the papers. People were lovely. The service was attentive without servility. You dont get that in the uk. in the uk anyone who waits at table lets you know they resent it!
We stayed in a very 'cool' hotel there too. It was tiny, but wonderful. We had a cd player in our room and a microwave, and they even had their own cd called the Medusa mix (it was the medusa hotel). Wonderful place.;
I went to the opera house, but unfortunately they were not doing opera - we saw instead 'Copelia' danced by the Australian National Ballet. Not really my thing to be honest, but I loved being there and drinking champagne on the terrace! And it was the summer remember, so it was warm and balmy.
I also went to a restaurant called 'Salt'. Wonderful. They had three different types of salt on the table to try (all tasted salty to me). The chef there is called Luke Managan or something - I bought his cookbook. Not low points. But very cool!!!
Then off to Uluru (or Ayers Rock as the colonials would call it, to the dismay of the Aboriginal people there). It is another extraordinary place. Some people climb it but the aboriginal people dont like that as it is sacred. Anyway it looked too hard......In fact when we were there it rained torrentially, and so we were in the lucky 3% who get to see the waterfalls cascading off it! Very nice.
Then off to Queensland for the Rainforest. wow. Go to a rainforest. You know that smell 'ylang ylang' that you can get? Well, the rainforest smells like that for real. The ylang ylang was in bloom when we were there and that is what it smelt of!. The spiders were very big. Hmm. Not sure about that aspect of things. One night we went on a boat on the river, and just listened to the night, and smelt the night and drifted down stream. It was wonderful. And I snorkled at the Great BArrier reef!!! What an amazing thing to do. I never knew how many varieties of coral there are! I was like an 8 year old - I simply could not get out of the water - hence I got very sunburnt on my back and the backs of my legs, but I did not care because I have now seen the Great Barrier Reef!

And here I am back in my little house in London, with a crackling log fire going, my friends lap top on loan so I can check in with you all, and I am making plans for christmas. Mum and Dad are coming to me here for the first time this year, so I want it to be wonderful.

I put on 2lbs when I was away. Not bad I think?? I am now back to being strict in the pre christmas run up!

I am afraid that I may be an irregular correspondant until I get the insurance sorted out, but I might be able to borrow this lap top over christmas, so can check in then.
I have read what has been going on with everyone - you all seem to be doing well and hanging in there. It is wonderful to be back in touch with you all. I was lying in my spa bath, on my balcony, in my rainforest canopy chalet (on stilts...in the canopy literally!) and I was thinking about you all and about how much I like having friends around the world to support and who support me. Life is good, even through theft and broken dreams etc.

Love to everyone
Lilac
xxxxxxxxx

The boss took us out to lunch today so I snuck out to WI at a morning meeting rather than going tonight at 4:30. Down 3 more lbs! I'm a happy camper. Had teryaki steak kabobs, a small baked potato and a nice glass of wine for lunch. It was sooo goood. Dinner sure will be sparce tho.

All my major shopping is done so if we get a ton of snow I don't think anyone will feel neglected if I don't see another store before the holiday. We could get 7 inches or more tomorrow. They say it should start in the evening. I sure hope it waits for me to get home from aquajogging. I hate being out on snowy roads on the night of the first snowfall. It takes some folks a few days to remember how to drive in the stuff so you really have to "watch the other guy".

TERRI: Glad you're back on track and workingto continue to lose over the hoidays. Go For It!! I'd try WW E-Tools but I've no time during the day so I'm sticking to pen and paper.

LINDA: So, the power was off and you read ALL day. I'd do the same. Hand me a good book and I turn into a slug until I've finished it.
Keep up the good work and I'm sure you'll be 20 lbs lghter by Xmas.

LILAC: Welcome home. Your trip sounds like a dream! So sorry about all you have to contend with re: the burglary. Get that security system installed and be sure to notify your credit card companies of the theft of your ID.Also, please be sure those in that address book are aware that it was stolen They may be next. WOW, all that travel, and good food, and you only gained two lbs. GOOD FOR YOU! (Applauding your success!!!)
Hope everything is back to normal soon.

BUNNY: I hope Amazon has come to your aid by now. What a bummer. Don't let this financial setback get to you and cause you to slip off program. You are strong enough to keep these jerks from forcing ou to the fridge.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

OHMYGOD!! What terrible tales of woe.
Bunny I just can't even imagine what you must be going through. That's a rotten thing for someone to do and definitely should be sueable (defamation of character or something?). I sure hope you get some support from the powers that be at Amazon.
Lilac , part of me envies you all the wondrous things you saw and did in Australia but to come home to such devastation....well, been there and done that and sure don't want to do it again. My losses weren't as high as yours though and we never did get anything out of the insurance company. Were there no clues at all as to who the culprits were? I think you show remarkable level-headedness in your attitude though. You have focussed on the wonderful memories of your trip, taken care of what had to be done on your painful return and are settling in to enjoy the holidays. Good for you. Two pounds is a small price to pay.
j-ann you seem to be all ready for Christmas too, and what will power you showed at your boss's lunch. Congratulations on the three pound loss. I'm so envious. I've been trying to stay OP but I've also been doing some Christmas baking...NOT a good combination. My weigh-in is Friday morning so I will just try to keep my mouth taped shut until then and hope for the best. I know what you mean about drivers in new snow. We rarely get snow here on the Wet Coast so when we do it's total mayhem. I grew up and learned to drive in big snow country but there's no way I'll go out and face those maniacs. These coast people think that you get better traction when you spin your tires....excuse me?? I don't think they've ever used or even heard of low gear.
I've only been to the pool for aquajogging once this week. I don't know if I'm fighting off a bug or what but I was so exhausted after that I decided to take the rest of the week off.
Tomorrow I go with some other members of my women's club to bring gifts to lonely old folks at one of the local seniors residences. So many of them don't have any family anymore and don't get visits or gifts very often so just any little thing is appreciated. We usually find out from the manager of the home just what is most needed and then we have a collection in our group and buy the rest of the stuff. Each one gets a decorated ice cream bucket filled with little necessities, plus some new underwear and perhaps a sweater, nightgown or housecoat. Slippers and lap robes are much appreciated too.

Hey, wonderful women!

Last night eBay announced that today would be a free listing day -- so anything listed on eBay today is *poof* not charged an insertion fee! So we're listing away as quickly as possible. Our hope is that we'll have 2000 items on site before the end of the day; I'm dead certain we'll have 1500 as long as eBay doen'st go ka-plooey from the extra load on the system. This will go a long way towards making up the income lost to the goober on Amazon.

Lilac -- we'll miss you while you sort out the insurance mess. I'm glad you're well covered, but the loss is still pretty darn significant, ya know? Of course you know! I'm proud as can be of you for doing so well on vacation!!

J-ann -- you're conquering holiday eating! Bravo! I only hope I do so well. I'm planning a turkey dinner now that we're not going to the in-laws for Christmas. I bought two turkey breasts yesterday and some o' the trimmings. I'll buy more at the flea market this weekend 'cause there's a fella there with the best produce, imo. Amazon did at least remove the feedback and revoked this fellas bidding privleges. I dunno if he's really gone or only sorta gone -- we'll find out over time, I guess.

Linda - I've been spare on the exercising as well this week. I'm blaming stress and a beginning of a flu. LOL! I just hope I get back on the ball next week. Maybe we can inspire each other.

Bummer. It's snowing. It started about 4PM then let up. Sometime between 5:30 and 6:30 it really started to come down. I started out for the pool but the roads are very slippery and the wet snow is packing into water covered ice. It's 15 miles to the pool so I turne around and came home. Lake effect snow is funny stuff. We could geta foot here and there mingt be 2 inches at the Y. I just didn't want to risk my new (this spring) car to the out of practice drivers. This is the first time I've missed a class since I started in Sept. Oh well, I wonder if I can jog in the tub?

Okay I'm done whining. I'm just frustrated cause I can't do what I want. Better to whine to you folks than go downstairs and FEED my irritation.

I love the snow! We dont get enough here. J-ann I am jealous of you! But I suppose when it becomes a hazard it must get boring. It is so wonderful to look out on a white covered world though, on the morning after a snow fall!
Really glad ebay are coming up trumps Bunny. I hope that continues. dont worry about the exercise this week - you can always get back in to it after the festivities. Turkey is so low points - I am digging out all my turkey recipes. I am off to buy the bird later today. I am in an internet cafe in Kingston this morning with a starbucks coffee with a slug of ginger syrup in. Not sure how many points in the ginger syrup....I shall count it as 2. Yum!
Linda - so you were burgled too? It is really a horrible feeling isnt it? the police here seem to be despairing of finding anyone - they dont seem to be even trying to be honest. I am not baying for blood - I am not feeling at all vengeful actually. I just think that society is like this - you always get a few theives. At least they did not trash the house. You hear dreadful stories of people finding their houses destroyed with paint and worse up the walls - we have nothing like that to cope with. Last night I had dinner with a woman and she told me that she was burgled a few years ago and she woke up to find a man in her bedroom with a dishcloth round his face and her carving knife pointing at her! She had her small son in bed with her at the time, as well as a deeply sleeping (and rather useless) husband. The burgaler slashed the bedsheets and demaned that she take off her rings and shouted at her about 'wheres the safe', and ended up getting away with tens of thousands of pounds worht of her jewellry, watches, silver - all kinds of stuff, (she was very wealthy at that time in her life) and she was not insured (the useless husband had tried to fiddle the insurance and it ended up void). But imagine waking up to an intruder like that! Made me realise how much worse it could have been.

Terri it sounds like you are doing really well with the christmas food. I am planning to have a big pan of soup available for snacks which will fill me up and keep me away from those nibbly bits....I will also put out lots of nibbles that I dont like such as peanuts (well, they dont like me rather than me not like them ) and maybe something covered in FoodOfTheDevil Mustard (yuk). But I have just bought some Rose Creams from Fortnum and Masons....surely one of the most indulgent confections known to humanity??!!

So, I must off and shop. I need to get wrapping paper, a breadmaker, a book for dad, and I need to get my photos developed! Hopefully I will be able to post some up here for you all to see.
I think I am getting lap top access (kind friend) this weekend, so should be able to stay in touch.
love
Lilac (who is noticing that the man next to her in this internet cafe has logged on to some sort of SM porn site and is shifting his position strangely in his seat....... )