Good Morning everyone! Yup, I'm starting the post since I have no internet access to this site at work anymore. Well, I could go ahead and bypass the "policeman", but I'd hate for my computer to be tagged and then the site be forwarded to some higher up who does nothing but sit on his a$$ and drink coffee all day.
nah, I'm not bitter....can't you tell?

Well the meeting with our realtors went well, but I feel so overwhelmed now. We started painting the house, and that's about all we were going to do, but they think we've had termites in the past, and the ceiling and a couple of walls need to be torn out and replaced. Brett seems to think he can do this himself....Look out Bob Villa!! It would be a tremendous monetary relief if we could do a lot of this stuff on our own. We also don't know if we can get as much as we want for our house. Most of the houses in the neighborhood are 3 bed 1 bath and ours was remodeled (years ago) into a 2 bed 1 bath house. (Not a bath-house, just a bad place where you can't put a comma )
Oh well. So now we need to totally focus on getting this house in 'showing-shape' before we move any farther into looking at houses to buy.

I guess I'd better get ready for work....Get this! I can't even log on to Weight Watchers now!!! Talk about extreme! It's a "health" site and the administrators have determined it unneccesary (can't even spell the damn word) for use during work hours. What a load of Bull Butter!!! (sounds better than horse sh1t!

Well, have a wonderful day everyone!! Stay OP and I'll catchup with everyone tonight when I get home!!!!

Jen and Kim - thanks so much for the advice. I was hoping you'd say that one day you'll wake up and it won't be so hard. Ugh. Although it's good to know that others go through the same thing and can remain lifetime members.

Stacey - that's awful about the filters! I'd be in big trouble if they did that here. Not even Weight Watchers? We even have a link to WW from our company's internal internet site. Still, that's awful! I'm glad the meeting with the realters went well!

So - today is the day. Weigh in. We'll see what free dinner and drinks will do to my WW efforts. I'm actually trying to be positive and thinking I could possibly maintain. I jumped on the scale at my gym (I couldn't wait until today to see the damage) and I'm right around where I was last week, plus or minus a half pound. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for maintainance.

To all you other ladies out there - have a great day!

Lisa

I just printed a few recipes from Weight Watchers and am suddenly SOOOOOO hungry. I have a feeling that my oatmeal simply isn't going to do it for me today. Perhaps I should just start the day with the little bag of M&M's in my drawer... No, I can fight it. Oatmeal will do the trick for me, I'm sure. Besides, there's an Emergency Response drill going on and I can't eat, drink, smoke, or chew right now anyway, so I have plenty of time to talk myself out of the M&M's and into the oatmeal.

I think my TOM is approaching (it's so hard to tell, I have such wierd cycles)--I've been hungrier than usual and crabbier than usual. I think that must be what's causing it. I hope it hurries up and gets here, I'll re-start my birth control pills (I had to go off for a month). I just hope that it doesn't turn me into an abominable eating monster any more than I've already been.

Not much else to write, I really gotta get working--my boss left me a note saying she wanted to talk to me on some stuff that I've had in my inbox that keeps getting shoved to the back. I'm a little nervous about that--I've never had a talk about why my work isn't done before. (Even though it's not my fault--I keep getting stuff with pressing deadlines, I swear. )

Stacey--It sounds like they're the Internet ****s, not police... Sorry you can't access this site more. Sometimes it's what keeps me from -ing out during the course of my day.

Lisa--Good luck at WI!! Maybe free dinner and drinks once in awhile actually helps out your WW and that's something that they've never mentioned to us! Maybe you'll go in and find that you lost 6 lbs in the last week. Yeah, and maybe... OK, I better stop before my imagination convinces me that chocolate will make me weigh less tonight at my WI.

Talk to you guys soon!

Stacey - That sucks about not being able to get on here at work! Good luck getting all of the work done on your house. It looks like you will have no trouble getting your exercise in with all of the work to be done.

Lisa - I'm sure your WI will be okay tonight. Even if you happen to be up a bit, just think about how angry it will make you to stay that much more motivated over the next week! I would always use a bad week to make me that much more motivated. And you're right, it is possible to have those terrible cravings, and sometimes give in to them, and still maintain.

Jess - I had the worst PMS of my life 2 weeks ago so I can sympathize with you. I was SO hungry that I couldn't get enough food in me. And it wasn't just cravings, it was physical hunger. I was waking up in the middle of the night with my stomach growling. We won't even talk about how crabby I was... As I said to Lisa yesterday, one of the things you learn the longer you do WW is to ride out the bad times when you want to eat everything in sight. You will get back on track, even if it takes a few days longer than you want it to. A couple of days of bad eating will not make you gain all of the weight back. (Eat the oatmeal, not the m&ms!!)

Kim - I've never heard of that band, but Chicago has a ton of good blues bands. I love live music. I'm sure you guys had a blast (and it's nice to see that you got to spend an evening out with b/f!) Hey - do you have a recipe for that squash and garlic over pasta dish you were telling me about yesterday? I'd love to try it.

Ali - I signed up for the Self challenge and completed day 1! Thanks for the reminder, as I desperately need this motivation.

Nothing new here. I am going out to dinner tonight with a friend who happens to share my love of wine, so my goal is to keep it in check and remember that it is not necesssary to drink a bottle of wine on a Tuesday night! Give me strength...

Ooh Jess, what an amazing fantasty. If chocolate could make you weigh less I would be waif-like

Well ladies, I have been MIA since last wed. so I wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing. I have been exercising which is good but my eating is still less than great. I haven't been using my e-tools which makes me mad due to the fact that I paid for it. Oh well, so long story short I vowed that I, starting today will be op and use my etools and see what the results are on Sat. am. I haven't been op for 5 days in a looooong time so that will be a challenge. I know that must sound sad to you op'ers but I haven't been motivated and I always think that rejoining will do it for me and it doesn't so I skip a month and go back once skip another 6 wks go back 2 x etc, etc, So I am going to go on sat. and face the music. Ok girls please make sure you ask me on Monday if I went to WI otherwise I know me and I will skip I really am so bad.

I had a good wknd. and got a lot of sleep b/c b/f worked. Things are going really well for us btw. He makes me happy most of the time anyway. I actually want to take a long lunch and go visit him but we will see. My boss is at our unit today and I don't want her to think that is something I do all of the time. This wknd we have his mom's 60th b-day party at a tres' chic restaurant and it will be my first "family" affair. I know his immediate family well but this will be friends of the family etc. I really want to look good, you know the whole wanting people to think b/f "did well". I am so shallow sometimes Anyways I am looking forward to that although I am a bit nervous.

Stacey- Sorry about your inability to check in with us

Jen- Good luck resisting the bottle of wine. When you all talk about all of the pts in alchohol it is ONE thing I don't use pts for b/c I don't drink, now if I could just not eat whole bars of chocolate

Jess- TOM is approaching for me too. I have been crabby too. I actually explained my cycles to b/f last night b/c I figure he should know when psycho girlfriend will be making an appearance.

Lisa-Good luck at WI!!!!!!

Lisa: Just so you know, I'm not a lifetimer! Unless, of course, you count that I've been joining and rejoining WW for what seems like a lifetime. I just thought it sounded like you were doing things exactly right.

Stacey: BAAAD internet police. I know at my work, we're not really supposed to use the Internet for personal reasons, but no one's said anything to me yet. You'd think they'd say something for other sites I have bookmarked that I've used for research ... autoeroticism, ****s ... Actually, the sites for 3FC and WW I have in a folder called "medical stuff."

Jen: I'll get the recipe for the squash dish and post it.

Hi Becky, Jess, Ali, Rina and everyone else out there! I better go and do some work, but I'll be back later.

Good morning ladies!

I feel like I have been MIA lately. Work has been busy, getting ready to move into my new office during spring break. The university has just finished building a new student center (union) so I will be housed there. It is exciting. I get a big office with many windows!! (I am now located in the basement of the library!).

I have not been OP in weeks, lets say months. But, I did get a glimpse of myself naked last night and was very depressed. Spring/summer is fast approaching and last year I bought all new (size 7) summer clothes, I WILL NOT go buy another new wardrobe to fit into this year, so I have to lose 15 pounds by June!!!!

So, I am starting a new, journalling and posting more. I know I stay OP more when I constantly talk with all of you!!!

Kim ~ Glad to see you got to spend some time with BF, I know you needed that!

Becky ~ I understand about the eating issues lately. At least you have been exercising!!

Jen ~ How is the new pad??

Jess ~ I am the same way when it is TOM. I am so hungry (and very tired). On Sunday night (TOM started on Friday) I fell asleep in the lazyboy at 8 p.m.!! What women go thru.....

Lisa ~ Temptations are so tough, I know they won't ever go away, but for them to become much easier to get thru would help!

Stacey ~ That is too bad about the police. I would die if they did that here....I need you guys!!

So, where is Ali, Lolly, Kirsty, Trish, Jen and everyone else today?? Didn't we have some new people join in??

Well, work calls. I am trying to decide what to have for lunch that is low point. I also need to get my water in, I have been terrible about it lately!!

Talk a little later!

Hey everyone. Nothing new here except it is bitter cold. I am going to walk to the gym in a bit and don't have a hat or ear thingys. Oh well. I need a workout. My hands are freezing as a type. Our offices are in an old historic building and the heat and a/c are not up to par.

Jess, I was looking at recipes this morning too. Yumm is all I can say! I am hungry too. Oh and I usually have to push things off too (like right now) and it is irritating because you can't do 100 things at once and no one understands!

Tonya... so where did you end up eating in Vegas. I want details of your trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stacey, internet police suck. It's one thing if you are abusing internet priviledges, but most honest people don't!!! We have had problems here, but those people no longer work here and internet abuse was only part of it!!!! GOOD LUCK and try to stay connected!

Oh back to work, then out in the cold to the gym!

Well, I lost 1 pound! I was shocked, but we went over my journal and I was on Program 6 out of the 7 days, and I went to the gym - so she said she wasn't surprised that I still lost. I was!

I love my leader, she stayed late so we could go over how I'm going to handle vacation next week. I leave Saturday. I'm going to be in Gulf Shores, AL for 3 days; Long Beach, MS for 3 days; and New Orleans, LA for 3 days.

We worked out a game plan. I'm eating my min all this week and going to the gym every day. That's four days of banking and four days of the gym.

Then while in Gulf Shores, we're staying at my Aunt's beach house... so we can go to the grocery store instead of eating out, so again - I can stay on program. Also, the plan is to take walks on the beach (maybe runs) all 3 days. Then I'm going home to Long Beach for 3 days, where I'm staying with my family. Again, the goal is to stay on program. Plus I can go to the gym on my family's membership.

THEN - while I'm in New Orleans, I will be using 10 banked points, although I'm not going to beat myself up if I go over while I'm there. I won't eat fried things, but I will have a muffelatta. My goal is to maintain and not gain. That's the plan anyway.

Jess - I like your chocolate fantasy!!!! You're stronger than me... if I had m&m's in my drawer they would be gone in seconds.

Jen - he he... I know what you mean with the bottle of wine. Have a couple glasses, I'm sure you'll be good with the wine.

Grace - great goal to be on program for 5 days. I'm sure you can do it. And I know you'll WI this weekend. Just put your mind to go. I'm not one of those people who can say they have the materials and the know-how and can do it on their own. I need to be held accountable. So going to WI is a big must for me.

Kim - thanks. I know I handled things right this time... but sometimes I feel like I'll fall of the wagon any second. This message board helps me big time, because I know I'll have to come here and confess everything.

Tonya - I can't wait to be a size 7!!! That's a good motivator though. Not having to buy new clothes. Good luck!

Jen-L - my building is huge, and although there is heat - you wouldn't think there was. I'm freezing and my hands are always like popsicles!

Alright girls... see you later!

Lisa

Jen ~

Well, I really didn't eat anywhere. My husband is the type that stopping to eat is a hassle and only when his stomach is growling will he eat (he eats to live, not lives to eat), which totally irritated me, but helped me in the end, so at least I don't have pounds to lose from vacation!

We only ate once a day. We ate at a very good deli in New York, New York called Greenbrier's. Very good. And also a mexican restaurant called Gonzalas, Gonzalas. Both were cheap and excellent. The other two days we ate breakfast at Denny's and that was it.

The Aladdin was very nice, awesome bathrooms in the rooms, but I probably wouldn't stay there again, for the simple fact that the eating places in the hotel were extremely high priced (dinners were $20-40 a piece and the cafe charged $7.50 just for a bowl of cereal, $12.50 for pancakes, need I say more!) We liked the New York, New York. The hotel/casino was really nice, and had more of our kind of eating places. Chinese, Mexican, Deli, Pizza, and all were reasonable. There were a few times that we came home from shows at midnight, and I was really hungry (since my husband was hungry at breakfast, and we didn't eat again!) but I wasn't going to pay $13.00 for a sandwich at the cafe at Aladdin, and was too tired to walk to another casino for food. That is the only reason I wouldn't stay there again.

Can you believe we never ate at a buffet? The world famous buffets in Vegas, and I didn't eat at one!! Next time.....

Jen,

Oh, almost forgot, we did eat at a restaurant on the strip across from the Monte Carlo, I think called Nick's NY Pizza and Oyster Bar. I would highly recommend it. Great romantic atmosphere and we had a pizza, it was awesome. They had lots of choices on the menu....italian plates and seafood. We the pizza was huge and was only $12.00. They also have outside seating. Very nice restaurant.

Wow Tonya, my problem is that my hubby likes to eat as much as I do. Glad you enjoyed it! What shows did you go to?? I am hoping to go to at least one big one just cuz. I have seen Jubilee at Balleys and I think it is probably the tasteful of all the showgirl shows. I saw that when I was in college. I have been in NY NY and agree it is a nice hotel/casino. OH, did the bathrooms in Aladdin have a huge bathtub???

The only 2 hotels I have actually stayed at are Balleys and The Las Vegas Hilton. That is because those are the ones that have the conventions I go to. So I don't much mind staying some place else. And I am used to going out to get something to eat so I don't mind that either. I usually bring my own snacks so that I can munch on those when I have my late night munchies!

Well, I made it to the gym and my legs are feeling it now. I am very high in points today, but I know my dinner will be lite since I have a class tonight and brought a sandwich and apple to eat. Usually I grab chips also, but this time I didn't. Maybe I have some willpower somewhere in my body!

Oh and Tonya, did you check out the pool at all?? I am hoping to and I hope it is nice!

Jen,

We did take a quick look at the pool. Looks like a big one!

We saw Lance Burton's magic show and Improv at Harrah's. Both were excellent. Everyone talks about Cirque de Soel and I am sure it is awesome, just couldn't part with $100.00 a ticket.

The bathrooms at Aladdin were huge. I took a much needed bath in the whirlpool bathtub and it was heaven!

Truely, the Aladdin is a wonderful hotel. Very nice. You must go upstairs to their bar/lounge area. They have live entertainment from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. each day, and they are the best bands/groups I have EVER seen. One group called Jonathan was awesome. They sang all the top songs and sounded just like the groups.

The mall that is in the Aladdin is really cool. Lots of awesome shops. We spent lots of time at the Discovery store for our kids. And there is an italian ice cream shop there, it is awesome!!! It is a large mall (for a casino anyway) probably will take most of a morning/afternoon to walk through.

Ok, I am done rambling now!~!!!

I was in the Mall part of Aladdin in December and really liked it. Hubby and I were thinking about the Improv at Harrahs. It is good to hear that you liked it!!!!! I heard that the Cirque du Soleil O is not that great but the other one is OK (Mysteri or something)

Thanks for the info. The tub sounds wonderful!!!! I will need to bring some bubbles with me!!

Back to work I guess!