Hello, I'm back from Savannah What a great city! It's so charming and historic! Our bed and breakfast was perfect and the staff was so nice. It was chilly there--37 degrees on Friday morning. I was glad that I had taken a heavier jacket and gloves. DH and I played golf at an Army base. I was surprised that the public were allowed on. I ate way too much in Savannah, but the food was so good. Went to a place call Mrs. Wilkes. It's only open for lunch and it's all southern cooking served family style. Wow! The food was great, but lots of it.

WI is tonight--I know it will be up, but I need the shock back to reality.

I was looking at last week's posts.

Melissa, I'm glad the test went well. I know that you were scared. Good luck with your upcoming surgery. I trust that you will feel so much better. Congrats on the weight loss! How was the big WW meeting?

Pam, Congrats on the weight loss, but I know that you weren't really trying. Heavy stress that you had will do it. How is DH doing?

Susan, I was surprised when you wrote that you had gained. I'm glad that you found a work WW meeting. I think they're great. They are convenient and don't allow many excuses.

Lori, How was the shopping? Did you have fun? I've done a little Christmas shopping, but not much. Usually by now I would be almost finished. Some people are so hard to buy for.

Went to WI last night and was up a 1/2 pound. That wasn't so bad. I'm going to stay on the straight and narrow this week. You all know what next week brings--shopping! No, just kidding, Turkey Day.

I'll be heading to my parents' for Thanksgiving. My brother is also coming in from Virginia, so it will be good to see him. We will have a houseful there.

This weekend was fun! I went up to my parents' house Friday night, but went out for dinner with some friends. Went to Bertucci's. Got a salad with grilled chicken and some gellatto. Never had gellatto before, but it was good! Shopping on Saturday was fun. I got A LOT done. Not just Christmas shopping either - I also went clothes shopping for myself since I have a VERY small wardrobe now. I have some old clothes that fit, but they look very old and worn. So now I have some new stuff - and nice clothes, not just jeans!

I also weighed in on my home scale Sunday and was 159.6. Since then I've been up, but I can tell its water retention (rings are a little tight!) so I know in a few days it will go away.

Lisa - 1/2 pound isn't bad at all! Pretty good considering your description of the food Glad you had fun! I feel like I need another vacation already

I had questions to ask everyone else but Lisa already asked them!

Lori, Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by the WI. I guess all of the walking DH and I did helped out. Glad you had a good time. Mmmm, Bertucci's. Wow--you're in 150 land. Isn't it fun shopping for new "smaller size" clothes? I love it. Actually, I have enough clothes, but I need to get that Christmas shopping going. It just gets harder each year to shop for my parents and my MIL.

Lisa - Yes I was very happy about seeing "15" at the beginning of my weight! Its the first time since I originally became a Lifetime member that I've seen those two together It is actually very odd shopping right now. I am still a 10 in pants and 8 in skirts. I am a medium in most tops but I actually had to buy one this weekend that was a large. The only reason I was willing to do that is because it wasn't hanging off of me - so it should probably last me through the winter and it was a nice sweater. I told my mom not to get me clothes for Christmas because she could see how hard it was to know whether it would fit or not (she went shopping with me)

Nothing really interesting here. I'm completely exhausted today and have a huge headache (both thanks to my medication - it comes and goes). I really want to go home but I commute with DH and I don't want to force him to leave work to take me back there since its not worth it for him to go back to work afterwards.

My eating has been OK the past couple of days. I've been dipping into my extra points for the week. My target is 22, and I hit 31 on Monday and 30.5 yesterday. Today I want to go no more than 24, but ideally I'd like to hit my target and thats it. I already planned the day, now I just have to stick to it

Actually, I prefer the old "range" system, so I *really* try to stay between 22-25 because I found if I go over 25 more than a couple of days in a week that even though I don't even use all my extra points, I will not lose.

Hi everybody. I weighed in at noon and was down 2.2 lbs. Perhaps not as much as I would have liked for the first full week OP, but I did have a run-in with some candy (12 pts.) and cheese & crackers (6 pts.) on Sunday, so I am content to see any loss.

I went shopping on the weekend for black shoes. Didn't find anything that I liked, but what really struck me was the &*&($%^* Christmas music. I will have to stay away from the stores until December because it's waaaaay too early for this. We'll be carolled out by the 24th at this rate.

Lori: I liked the old range too. My points target is 19. That is not much for someone like me, especially when I am running full time. It's all psychological though; I can easily give myself a range using flex or activity points, but I am going to give this a try for a couple of weeks at least to see if I can get used to it.

Lisa: Sounds like you had a good vacation. I have never visited Savannah, but my sister raved about it after visiting a few years ago. Good for you for getting lots of walking in. It seems to have balanced off the extra food!

Hello Melissa and Pam.

Susan

I was at a conference yesterday that was pretty good. I ate way too much food though. Why do I do it? I had a bagel and coffee at home and then at the conference there were sausage biscuits. I just had to have one! Then I ate a brownie at lunchtime. Today I still feel full, so I'm going to try to stay OP today. I didn't even want that brownie, so why did I eat it?

Susan, Congrats on the loss!! HA! I laughed when I read your post about Christmas music. Went shopping last night with my GF and one of the stores was playing it. We both looked at each other incredulously. C'mon, that's way too early. Then the day after Christmas, there will be no music to be heard!!! Technically, that is the beginning of Christmastime! Argh.

Lori, I also liked the range of points and that's what I try to follow (though not successfully this week.)

Hey gals! Well TOM came early and I feel super bloated and crampy. All Wed. night I laid in bed with a heating pad on me! Today is better at least. I went to a WW meeting yesterday for the first time in a month. It was good - I was glad to go back. I was down 2.2 since my last "official" WI there a month ago.

So I am not worried about my eating on Thanksgiving. My parents and my in-laws are both watching their weight so I have no worries about the type of food served. The issue for me will be the week after Thanksgiving. I have to go to West Palm Beach, FL and to Andros Island in the Bahamas for work. Don't get all excited just yet - when I go to Andros Island I'm on a 1 square mile base and I have to eat at a mess hall. I mostly have salad - for lunch and for dinner. I try to find something else to add to that too, but things there aren't cooked very... healthy. At least I will get to walk on the beach! Oh yeah and don't get me started with breakfast. I try to just buy yogurt and a piece of fruit at the convenience store the day before.

Susan - congrats on the loss! I hear you about the music. Can we just get through Thanksgiving first?!

Lisa - What were you at a conference for? Bagels get me every time. They are so yummy but so high in points, especially when I slather the cream cheese all over them!

Lori, The conference was for export laws, etc. Hey, congrats on your weight loss. That is a great feeling right before big Turkey Day. It's also good to hear that others will be watching their intake with you. Argh, TOM and cramps--don't have to worry about them any more. West Palm Beach is very nice and has some good restaurants (can't think of one right now). I've heard of Andros Island--very small and not much to do, but you'll be working, right.

I hope Melissa's surgery went all right. I'm sure that she will feel much better.

Well, I won't be around here much this weekend. I've got an audition tomorrow (wish me luck). I'm auditioning for a solo in Vivaldi's Gloria. I may have a shot. Have a birthday party tomorrow night at a restaurant. I don't know if that means we have to buy our own meal or what. Not sure and no mention of that on the invitation. On Sunday, I plan to go art show street festival. It's usually a nice event.

Have a good weekend everyone!