Hi girls!! Well, in the UK its Tuesday, that counts!!

Its been so long, I thought I'd write a long one tonite. So much has been going on lately, its been insane!! But I have been thinking of you guys daily!

WW wise things are going good - the scale is SLOWLY going down, but I am firming up with skiing and working out (I overdid it yesterday and am SORE today though), so that is good.

I started my new positon at the company officially today and I am working lots of hours. My best friend is getting married this summer and is in BC so I have been doing the wedding planning,and my family is all going through various things that keep me visiting and on my toes all the time its crazy!!

Becky - my niece is my sun moon and stars too - she is 3 now and sooooo spoiled...isn't it nice to live vicariously??

Hey Kirsty - well b/f and I are definately going to Ireland in the fall...maybe we can meet up in england or something?? that'd be GREAT....

Hey - why is shrove tuesday pancake day?? My family does that too and b/f thinks we are insane....anyone know why??

Stacey, that is the longest post I have seen you write in a long time!!!

Lisa - congrats congrats congrats on your size 12 girl....that is so rad!!



Kim - I am sorry to hear you won't be with b/f on v-day....that is a bummer. How are things going otherwise? How are your puppies?

Hi Lori!!

Ali - I had a crush on my best guy friend and I am now living wtih him - AND he didn't have a window I could crawl through, so that's good news!! There is hope....chin up!!!!

Jen - lots of canadians - whose second language is french, don't know that mardi gras is french for fat tuesday. The bars often have things going on here but its just a meat market more than anything
Feel better Jen!

Tonya - I don't think you are alone in not wanting to get the post baby body back. lI can't say as I blame you!! But you gotta make that life decison. AND if you can do it once, you can lose it again, right??

Hi Jess - I like your avatar

Hey Rina! I have been watching some of the olympics - a girl from Alberta got 4th in snowboarding poor girl. She was one-onehundredth of a second from winning bronze!! AGH. I loved in 1988 when the olympics were in Calgary!! It was very cool...spirit in the air was fantastic!

Well, I should get to bed. Good night to you all - Lolly, Trish (and new baby Alex) Jen2, KT, Dawn and everyone else......

Belle

Hi girls,
good to "see" you belle!!
i think the reason for the whole shrove tuesday/pancake day thing is that you're meant to be using up all the foodstuffs in your cupboards/pantry so you can begin fasting for lent. and someone discovered milk, eggs and flour make a tasty treat!! i'm not big into the religious side of lent. but i thought i might use it as an excuse to work on my willpower and keep off the ice cream! but i do agree with kim, you should do something good rather than give up something bad. much more positive statement. any why wait till lent or only do it for lent? start good habits, and keep them for life. i guess that's the secret to ww.
tonya - i don't know what to do! i already feel worried that when/if i get pregnant i'm going to have to put on and lose weight again. but having seen how well my sister did i reckon i could do it, and put on a minimum amount. we'll see what happens!! i guess you need to chat about it with DH and see if you can afford another mouth to feed! maybe you should ask your little ones if they want another brother or sister! be good to see what they think (best to mention it to hubby first though in case they spill the beans!).
lori - love your dress!
rina - i'm going to follow in your footsteps and not eat all my food next time i go out for dinner. i'll let you know how i get on!
right, i have to go start work. hello to everyone i missed. i'll be back later on,
kirsty
ps belle - yes - we must definitely meet up. same goes for kierie. are you still in dublin? how long for/till?

Ooooo I am a bitter gal. I love figure skating and SALE AND PELLETIER were robbed!!!!! Yes,I like Bereshnia and Sikhardlitze (They're my other faves), but hey, that's my rant.

Kirsty: I have toaster pancakes in my fridge. My mom used to make these awesome pancakes and I would always sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on them. I miss pancake day.

Belle (other gals please read too, I need advice): well the thing is, I still wonder if I am still kinda rebounding and all. I also don't want to mess up the friendship. My friend seemed kinda jealous when I was dating my ex and seemed really happy at any time I would spend with him when my ex didn't feel like going out. Last weekend we went to dinner and he kept putting his head on my shoulder etc etc. This weekend we were going to skate on the canal and then he discovered he had other plans and seemed upset about it. Maybe I am reading way too much into it though...

See Y'all Later!

Ali

ali - from what you've said, i'd say he sounds keen. i suggest getting really drunk with him and see what happens. that usually works one way or another! although, perhaps these things are best handled with more care and less booze....

Ladies,

Soor I didn't make it back to the board yesterday to respond. We had moved to our new building yesterday and I was still unpacking. I'll definately check back in later this afternoon to respond to everyone's posts.

So, this new building we moved into has a really really nice cafeteria. BAD! The old building had this tiny caff with gross food, so I was rarely tempted. Well, the building has a peudo food court with a pizza stand, a grill (where they have burgers fries, onion rings), and a hot meal line. AGH! I'm scared I'll be more tempted now. Although, they also have a really nice salad bar, but I'm afraid when I pass the pizza on the way to salad bar....

Belle - good to hear from you. Weight slowing coming off. Sounds awesome though. You're firming up and the scales moving down - perfect! Good luck with your new position at work!

Kirsty - I usually don't give up something for lent. Most people I know do give up something... but I'm just going to use lent as an over-all motivator. To give up excuses... because every week there's something that's "Special" that I would normally use as an excuse to eat. Wedding, party, dinner out, etc etc. There will ALWAYS be something. And so, from now on I give up that excuse.

Ali - Guys do get mushy when they're interested. Sounds like this could be the case. just be careful. Decide if the risk is worth it. If he is interested and you are too, decided if you could risk your friendship for something more. It's a tough thing... because sometimes it's totally worth it and turns out to to be the best. Kirsty's idea isn't a bad one. People are usually more honest about their feelings and more likely to act on them when they're drunk. Truth serum is what I call it.

I weigh in at lunch. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Lisa

Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!!!!

I have a cold now. BLUCHHHHHH... I am going to try to work out today, we'll see. Then Emma and I are on our own for dinner tonight. Should be interesting since she is more than a handful!!!

Welcome back Belle

Lisa... Ughhhh Cafeteria. We don't have one, but we have fast food and cafes just outside our building. Good thing it is bitter cold here!!

Ali... Good luck with the guy. I have been attracted to male friends before, but never dated any. Most already had g/f's or we just weren't into each other in that way.

Back to work for me...

hey everyone! I am here-still OP-but starting to crave things-this always happens to me after about a week...so last night I took out my Cooking Light Cookbook and planned a new meal for tonight-flank steak stuffed with spinach and cheese, oven baked french fries-mmmmm-can't wait. Now I just have to stay OP all day so I can eat my meal tonight!!!
Tilley-I like the idea of giving up excuses-you're right-every week there is something. I try to give myself one day of minimally counting points....but that can snowball-you have to be careful!!!
Belle-Congrats on the scale moving down!
Ali-I am there with kirsty-add a little wine or something to loosen you guys up and see what happens...but think about what you would like to happen beforehand...do you want him as more than a friend for real?? I learned in school that one of the strongest things that attract us to other people is knowing that they are attracted to us!!!
Kim-where are you? I posted my dress at the end of the day yesterday!
Are these pancakes like crepes?? I have never heard of pancake day-sounds yummy though!

Morning everyone... I overslept today and was an hour late to work. Oops. I'm starting to wonder if I'm coming down with something, I'm always so tired.

Well, since I didn't post yesterday, today's will probably be lengthy. The weekend was good for me. I was trying to bank points for a lunch thing I had to do yesterday and I did a pretty good job, successfully banking 11 points. I made chili on Sunday, it was spectacular, if I do say so myself. Even my BF loved it. It ended up being 3 points for one cup, 6 points for a great big bowl. I went to the gym on Friday, but didn't make it in on Saturday. Went out to lunch yesterday for a co-worker's birthday. I had chicken strips and fries, I counted it as 14 points. I had chili for dinner and only ended up going 1 point over my daily total. I was pretty proud of myself.

WI is tonight... Even when I'm good all week, I always worry about weighing in. I'm scared to death I'm going to somehow gain weight even though I've been following the plan... If I get discouraged when I only lose 1/2 a lb, I'd be devastated if I ended up gaining. I didn't do as well in going to the gym this week as I would have liked, but oh well, we'll see what the scale says...

Well, I better get my bum back to work. Will check back later to respond to other posts. Bye!

Wow boards are already busy this morning! Well I did aerobics last night. It was my first time back in 2 wks due to colds and watching those kids. I loved it however my eating is still pretty crazy. I always use TOM as an excuse to pig out. I convince myself I deserve it. I also read in a magazine that it is ok to go a bit overboard during TOM b/c you burn calories in the process (if you know what I mean) So of course that little tid bit always sticks in my head. I can't even remember what I wore yesterday but I am sure I will remember that fact for the rest of my LIfe

Kirsty-Your advice is hilarious You're so bad! Did you ever see "the real world" episode from the NY season. ONe of the girls does that with one of her guy friends but she is the one who got drunk and puked all night. IT was soooooo disgusting. I couldn't believe it she would puke right in front of him and then snuggle and try and get some. YUCK!

Belle- Glad to hear that the weight is coming off! Mine, not so much. Ok you and Ali both made Dawson's Creek comments, are you closet fans??? Just curious. My sister and I tape the episodes if we can't watch them

Ali-Well my b/f and I were friend for like 5 years and best friends for a couple and believe me I am sooooo happy with things. It is wonderful b/c there is already such a degree of trust there. I love it, however give it time. I think that once you make sure you are not just rebounding you should bring it up. I am a firm believer in straightforward honesty. I think that men appreciate that. Good luck!!!!!!

Tonya-I think that being at goal or close is a great time to start trying to have another child b/c you wouldn't want to start out overweight and gain the additional. YOu could start this pregnancy out healthfully. You have kids you know the stress it can entail so if you think you desire to have another I say talk to you husband and go for it I want to get to goal before I get married and begin a family b/c most people gain weight during these times and I don't want to start out 30 pds overweight.

Rina-Congrats on not pigging out at the restaurant.

Kim- Lent? Yah I am a christian and we don't give up anything for lent however I might just to begin better habits. I am going to have to brainstorm and come up with something to give up There are just soooo many options

Lori- I couldn't get on the dress web site this morning but I will try again. I can't wait to see it!!!

Jen-Hope you feel better soon!

LIsa- Sorry about the new super cafeteria. The good news is if it is always the same food you will get sick of it and want to bring your own anyways. In college we had an amazing food court and that is what happened to me I would always end up cooking in my own kitchen.

Stacey-Giving up chocolate. Sacrilege! SEriously though How long does lent last??? Just curious.

CONFESSION-------Girls, I at paczcki's! I AM SERIOUSLY LACKING WILL POWER!!!!! Did anyone else fall to temptation? I hope not but I just wondered if I am the only slacker. Sorry for not being a good WWer

Jess- I was posting my book when you posted and I wanted to wish you luck for your WI!!!!!! I hope that you are not coming down with something. Start taking echinacea it works wonders with the immune system.


Oh speaking of vitamins, are there any weird side affects to taking prenatal vitamins when your are not prenatal? I hear that they make your hair and nails grow and although my nails are good I really want my hair to grow out quickly (in case of wedding). Any suggestions or comments. Am I crazy

Hey Guys, I am new here and was reading the comments and felt like joining in.

I too am interested in growing my hair longer and was told that prenatel vits made hair grow, I have been to scared to try them since there is no baby in the near future.

Also, advice about the friend/possible romace. I married my best friend from college. We were friends for the first couple of years, both in serious relationships. Turns out that we both broke up with the others at about the same time and after that the friendship got stronger and stronger. We ended up spending everyday together and finally it took another friend asking what the deal was. We ended up both admitting that our feeling were more that friendship and she told us both what the other had said and the rest is history. Kind-of crazy but it worked. Good luck!!!!

I don't think it is the prenatal vitamins as much as the change in hormones when you are PG. Prenatals are vitamins with more folic acid and iron. Maybe the iron can help. But let me tell you, a month after having Emma, my hair started going back to normal... meaning I lost the hair I gained while PG. Big Bummer!!! I have always had strong nails so that wasn't an issue. Also, prenatals can cause constipation because of the iron, so I guess I would look for other options if you want stronger hair and nails. Someone once told me one of the b vitamins was for hair and nails. Check out a GNC or any other local vitamin shop.

Becky: You're not crazy, but be careful. I've had many people recommend taking prenatal vitamins because of the many healthy vitamins they provide. Are you taking folate???? YOU MUST!
But, beware of those vitamins! I took some under the 'advice' of my old ob-gyn and they gave me the WORST gas!!!! I would get really bloated, walk around the corner and ******** (use your imagination) I'd feel better for awhile, but then Whammo!! My current doc (who I think is awesome) says that's due to the stool softener in the vitamins. I think just taking vitamins geared for women should help. Anyone else?
As far as Lent goes, I'm not Catholic, but I've always given something up. One year it was Dr Pepper and I thought I was going to die!! I didn't tho. I might just stick with soft drinks. Lent lasts for 40 days and 40 nights.
Well, boss is just next door so I'd better get back to work, but I wanted to stop in and say hi. I am going to WI tonight, but not staying for the meeting. DH and I are looking at houses and we need to get some looked at before it gets too dark.
I should be back later!

I've heard that taking Biotin can strengthen hair and nails. As far as making it grow faster, I'm not sure what you can take... I know there are vitamins that are specifically formulated for women's hair and nails, I found them at Walgreen's...

the end of lent is easter sunday - so you can dig into your choccie eggs with abandon!! as long as you've got points saved up, of course!
becky - i'd definitely speak to a doctor or nutrionist before taking prenatal vitamins. you'd be much better off getting plenty fruit and veg. isn't gelatin a good thing for hair and nails (anything made of keratin basically)? ok, so it comes from cow's hoofs (doesn't it?). i reckon eating plenty zero-point jello (as you guys call it) might help. stacey - is folate the same as folic acid? i have heard of side effects of folic acid, like you're more likely to have twins which leads to other complications (increased risk of spina bifida for example).
hello aharris!
jess - hope WI goes well. same goes to anyone else hopping on the scales today.
kirsty
ps lori - pancakes are a bit like sweet crepes but different from the savoury ones you get in france (called galettes i think). both are yummy. but i'm determined to be a very good girl and not go back to my old habits of eating what i want, irrespective of how hungry i am. must listen to stomach.