Come on in and stay awhile. We're a wonderful group from all over all sharing in this journey down the scale. We laugh, we cry, we hug, we share. Most of all we care. We post menus, frustrations, successes and the occassional recipe.

Welcome!

Hey, everybody! Hope ya'll had a great Easter. I joined my best friend & her family and had a nice dinner. Everyone raved about the Oriental Crab Salad I brought that I got from one of the recipe boards. Had a little "wobble" with the jelly beans they had scattered throughout the house but I was fairly restrained -- just kept repeating my new mantra over and over to myself (I am worth this. I can do this. Time to close the deal.)

And then I got up and weighed in this morning to find six unwanted and unloved pounds gone!
I am really doing the happy dance, esp. since I just started on Wednesday!

Woo-hoo!
Donna

Hi everybody

Terri - Hope you had a happy Easter. Thanks for starting a new thread the other one was getting a little long.

Donna - WOW Way to go on the 6 lbs. Here's a happy dance for you

We worked in the garden & yard yesterday for about 4 hours. Pulling weeds, raking leaves, tilling the garden. We are going to plant some veggies today.

My loss was not as good as yours Donna. I lost 1 lb. this week. I'm happy though because I'm averaging 1 lb a week. Slow but steady.

I'm off to plant those veggies. I'll catch yall later.

Joyce

Hello!

What a beautiful day we had here in the midwest. It was 70+ and tomorrow it will be 45.

I made it through the weekend okay with food. The scale was up this morning but I blame that on all the salt I had - a few potato chips on Saturday, Chinese lunch on Sunday, and a little bit of ham and olives Sunday night. I've been drinking lots of water today and making lots of trips to the restroom!

I'm trying to get back on the spinner. I've only done 10 minutes each the last two days but I've also walked those two days too. Soon I will be back up to 20 or 30 mins.

Donna - What a great loss!!! Six pounds is great. Keep up all the motivation.

Joyce - DH and I were discussing tonight about where to put in a garden area and how we could get that accomplished. We need to rent a tiller and get some landscape timbers. He and I don't work well together especially when neither of us knows what we're doing. Maybe we'll get it together so we can have some veggies.

Woops, I better go. I think he needs help with dinner.

Have a great Tuesday!

What a fantastic loss. SIX POUNDS!! I haven't lost that much in a week since....well, I can't remember when. Good for you.

Well, folks, yesterday was Easter and I had sister and her hubby and our older daughter and her younger teenage boy here for turkey dinner. Slaved most of the morning to have everything ready to go so I could enjoy my sis's visit. Daughter and grandson came just before dinner time and left shortly after and during that time the teenage grandson managed to put a damper on everyone's good spirits. What's with these kids and their attitude? He seemed to take even good natured teasing the wrong way, barely opened his mouth except some comments in an undertone to his mother and was generally rude and uncommuncative. Sheesh! I'm sure I was never that big a pain in the backside. I sure never treated my grandmother that way even if I was a pain to my parents on social occasions. Oh well, the dinner all turned out great but it sure is tiring, especially the clean-up after.
I managed to stick with my eating plan and only went a few points over the top of my range but I'm generally at the bottom of it so I don't see a problem.
Now I have some lovely leftover turkey to tide me over for the rest of the week. Yum yum and low fat too.

Hi everyone,
I've been MIA the last couple of days - sorry, it was a mixture of too much company and too many chores. Just wanted to thank Joyce and Anne for the encouraging words after my three pound gain last week. Well, I'm back doing what I was doing although I had a minor slip on Easter Sunday with some #@*&! chocolates that some kind soul brought for me. Do any of you feel this pressure to eat things that are gifts, or that some one made "especially for you"? Well, it was probably a bit of an excuse because I was a little down about the gain so I was practicing some self-sabotage. That's out of my system now and I'm back to healthy eating. Anne, I was ROFL at the "virgin fat" comment. I haven't been into that virgin fat since...well, since I was a real virgin. LOL You know that pesky teenage grandson? Well, I have a son who is just getting past that ugly age and he will be twenty in May. Try to grit your teeth and bear it. I'm sure it's something hormonal that they overcome with a little maturity. I have two daughters who are older (22 & 24) and they weren't nearly as moody, sullen and anti-social as he was. Now, he's a regular social butterfly, charming my mother and sister at Easter dinner, laughing and actually communicating with humans over the age of 19!
Donna, I can't believe that you lost 6 lbs in one week. The last time I lost 6 lbs in a week, I had given birth to a 9 lb. baby! That was 20 years ago. Congratulations, you're off to a great start.
Terri, if my husband and I had to plan and execute a project like the vegetable garden together, well I'd be executing him. LOL He is self-employed and I worked for him for years while our children were young. Finally, I said I either work for you or I live with you -you pick. He picked and I'm still here. We get along fine until we actually have to do a project together. He, of course, wants everything done his way (the wrong way!) and I want everything done my way (the right way!). He might disagree a little with my interpretation of this....LOL
Well, I have gone on and on and on. That's enough! Talk to you all soon.
Stasia

Good evening everyone. Hope everyone has had a great OP day!

Well I planted those veggies yesterday. DH couldn't help so I had to do all the rows by myself. I am so sore and tired today. I can hardly move. Hopefully all that work will show up on the scale next week.

Stasia - Great going with getting back OP. The answer about pressure accepting food for gifts is that I used to feel guilty and would take it and most likely eat it just in case they asked about it later. Now I let them know if I can't eat it. But will accept it and divide it into portions to give to my DD & boyfriend, DH or friends.

Linda - How old is your dgs. Or should I say darling? My daughter ran away from home at 17. She became a totally different person than what she was before. NO DRUGS, ALCOHOL or SEX just a rebellion that she was an adult and could make adult decisions like who she went out with, how late she stayed out etc. We set boundaries but she did not want to follow them and moved out. She stayed in school fortunately and graduated. We went to the school counselor to discuss what to do or what we were doing wrong. He gave us some of the best counsel. He told us that our training was with her. That she may act like she's not hearing or we're not getting through but you are. He said wait till she gets into her 20's you'll see. Well at about 19 1/2 she started improving and turning her life around. We are best friends now and she has apologized for the grief she caused us. She is 21 now & a 911 dispatcher for the county & has to deal with other kids that are rebellious. She has a wonderful boyfriend that we adore. I guess the long & short of this is give dgs time hopefully he'll realize how important his family really is.

Terri - Your cool/cold front is headed our way we were up to @ 80 degrees today and tomorrow it will only be 60. I managed to get my plants in yesterday. I hope you get a garden. It's really nice to have those fresh veggies. I don't work outside the home anymore so I am at home with DH all the time. I find that sometimes we are talking / arguing about something that we agree on but just express it differently. Is it that male/female left brain-right brain thing or what?


Well I put my application in at the local school district today for a District Receptionist/Fixed Asset position. It is only 10 miles from my house. I really don't want to have to go back to work but DH & I would really like to have a little extra money. Plus since he is self employed insurance is very expensive and we don't have any insurance at this time because we can't afford it. I worked 10 yrs in City Govt as Purchasing & Inventory Manager and have my retirement but that wont kick in for awhile yet. I just hope this will not be as stressful as my job at the City. I don't know if I can handle it anymore.

Well, I just wanted to check in and say hi to all my friends. Hope you'll have a great day tomorrow.

Joyce

Stasia how come you're calling me Anne? This so funny. Anyhow, I'm the one with the cranky grandson and the virgin fat and my name is LINDA. No kidding. It really is Linda!
Joyce darling grandson is just turning 15. I don't see him that often so you'd think he'd try to be a bit more pleasant when I do. It's partly my fault though. He used to be really hyper and I just couldn't deal with him so I didn't have him out to visit us as often as I should. My nerves just couldn't take his antics. Now he's on Ritalin which has helped to calm him down but teenage attitude has now taken over. Trust me, I've dealt with a rebel teen before. His own mother nearly drove me to drink and she is now a very responsible, hard working adult. Her older son, who will be 17 this year got expelled from school and refuses to try to get back in. Instead he got himself a job which pays $15 an hour (I don't know who would be stupid enough to pay a kid that much money but they do) and he loves it and has moved into an apartment with a couple of workmates. Our daughter first ran away from home at 15 and scared me half to death before we found her. She came and went for the next two years but just couldn't settle at school. She wound up getting pregnant with #1 grandson at age 17 and moved some distance from us. Eventually we helped her go to hairdressing school and paid for daycare until she could get on her feet and when the boy was two she met her hubby and then had #2 grandson. She and I are great pals now and it's true that if their childhood was basically stable and sensible, eventually they will come to their senses. It's just so hard struggling through those terrible teens.
Anyhow, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Today I did some work in the garden but my back is killing me so had to stop for a while.
Yesterday had blood pressure tested and it's really good. So, the Meridia isn't causing any problems in that regard so far. I have to have it tested every week though while on this medication.
Well, that's about all for now.

Happy Wednesday!

Just checking in. Its late and I'm tired so I can barely see what I'm typing. Its been a rough week at work and home. Its my normal week of hel* at work which has been making it hard to keep up at home. Plus we have had bitter winds blowing from the north. Well, that's just mean of the weather to be doing that here in April. The cold has made me want to hybernate again.

The dogs have bonded although at times they about drive me nuts. Bear and I did get in a walk today before it got cold again. So at least I got some exercise.

I've had a smidge of stress eating today. Exercise is still not where I want it.

Yikes, I think I'm glad I don't have teenagers.

Well, I've read the posts and am having trouble forming intelligent sentences. Just keep up all the great work.

Don't really have anything too special to report, but wanted to let you know I'm still "checking in." Tomorrow is my long day at work and I haven't decided yet if I'm going to stay on campus all day (which would obviously entail packing lunch) or if I want to come home. I'll probably stay on campus for this first day -- the first day of class in a new quarter tends to be rather exhausting -- lots of last-minute changes one has to deal with and sometimes you're not quite sure just where a class is located. I always get there eventually but I'm famous in my family for my ability to get lost ...

Food and exercise both going well. Yesterday was an example of why it's important for me to exercise FIRST THING in the morning. I made the mistake of watching an infomercial or two, so started exercise much later than usual. I intended to do my full four miles, but about two miles in, of course the phone rang ... it was the office, something "urgent" that had to be dealt with right then. So I just settled for the two miles. Today I did the full four but it was my first time all the way through wearing shoes and that extra little weight on my feet makes a difference! I had to "push" a little to get through.

That's all, folks!
Donna

Linda who is not Anne, who will never be Anne, who will always be Linda: I will type this 10,000 times until I get it straight! (o.k. that's a lie) You know your quote about "Friends being like stars" well think of my brain as all the space in between the stars. I have a friend on another site that lives in B.C. and her name is Anne and, as I've mentioned more times than you probably want to hear, since menopause/perimenopause my mind has picked up and moved on to green pastures. I can't believe some of the forgetful things I say and do. I WANT THE OLD MIND BACK!!! Please accept my apologies. Anyway, it's nice to hear the Meridia is having no ill effects. I'm seriously considering asking my doctor about this drug as soon as I get off the patch.
This Sunday will be 5 weeks smoke-free, and I'm happy. I'm also thrilled that except for Easter Sunday, I have not been off-program since January 15th. Of course, the weight loss is not as rapid as I had hoped, but I know eventually it will drop off.
All of you who are planning and planting gardens are making me envious. As I sit typing this I am looking out the window at giant flakes of snow falling. It's freezing out. The older I get, the more I hate these long winters. I wish I could win the lottery and move south for the winters.
I have rejoined the local YWCA and have been going after work to do weights and use the walking track. Donna, when I hear about you walking 4 miles you inspire me. I'm up to only 2 km. (about 1.4 miles) and I come off the track looking like I've just completed a triathlon. But I refuse to give up. I know it will get better.
My goal is to be at near normal weight before I hit my 50th B-day which is a year from this May. I hope I can persist.
Well, I'd better go and do something useful. Take care,
Stasia

Well, Stasia, if I had to pack up and go to a gym or a track to exercise, I'd never do anything. As a matter of fact I do have a membership to a local health club -- that charge shows up on my bank account every month, regular as clockwork, but do you ever find me there? Nooooo! I've moved a few miles since I joined and it would now take me 25 minutes just to get there. By the time I drove there and back, I can be completely done.

I like the Leslie Sansone tape that I'm using -- esp. the fact that she tells you as each mile is done, and that if you want it's "perfectly okay" to fast forward to the cool down and quit. And there are days when I'm pressed for time that I do that. But I also post my exercise/food at Fitday and I love the way the little graph for calories used creeps upward when I've done 3 or 4 miles. It tells me, BTW, that I use 220 calories to do 4 miles. If I do it 5X a week, that would be a lb. a month from walking alone ...

I am seriously debating getting the "Firm" tapes that are being advertised right now on TV. Have any of y'all seen those? My main question is whether I can tough out the first few weeks while I build more muscle. I've got a set from Tony Horton (Power 90 from BeachBody.com) that I attempted twice -- no way for this aging couch potato! I need to take a couple digital pictures of them and offer them on eBay. They did have a money-back guarantee but of course the time limit has expired. I also have one of the original sets of TaeBo which I don't use but I keep hanging on to them; I like TaeBo; I just can't do it. At least not yet. Maybe 50 lbs. from now, with greater balance and endurance ...

All my exercise today will come from lugging my equipment around campus. <sigh> Such a shame a nice girl like me has to go out and make a living!

Donna

Stasia apology accepted and I understand perfectly. Mental-pause did a number on my brain cells too. Anyhow, I grew up with a mother who always called by the name of the last person she'd been talking to so I answer to just about anything. BTW, my goal is similar to yours except I want to be Slimmer for Sixty (which I become next February).

No time right now to respond to all posts. Just know that I SO admire those of you who are into a fitness program and sticking with it. I have bought weights and done the reps for a max of a week and then it fizzled out. Somewhere around here I have some Richard Simmons Sweatin' tapes but I really don't have the room in my tv area to do the workouts. I have been out in the garden a bit lately...yesterday moving large rocks around and today I'm paying the price with stiff neck and shoulder. This morning I went to the pool and did my rather mild paddling about but I guess it's better than nothing.

Good news, folks. Went for my WI this morning and was down another 8/10 lb. That's 4 weeks in a row of losses and if I can just lose 1/4 lb this week I'll FINALLY get my 20 lb lost star. Then, 10 more to get my ten percent award. Gosh, what a battle!

Anyhow, keep up the good fight. I'll check in over the weekend.
LindaBC

I posted a few days ago introducing myself......My first weigh in was today. I lost 6 lbs!! I know that the first week is more than likely water weight...but weight is weight right??...LOL LOL

I can already tell a difference in how I feel and the energy I have..even though I am sorta tired right now...been running around today after the WW meeting.

Welcome Teresa, Hi Everybody .

I haven't posted lately. Forgive me. I think I'm fighting a "bug" and I've been soo tired . Didn't even bother with my WI this week and that's not like me. Had a couple off program days. Didn't feel good so went to McDonalds and ate the new chicken strips. It DIDN'T make me feel any better and, don't bother yourselves to try the strips. I ate them but they are not very good. If I'm going to eat fried food next time, I'll be sure to get something better. Even exercise has been hard.

I think I'm back OP now . Journaling and moving a bit more. Will do the pool tomorrow and hope to start walking next week.

Can't really think of anything motivational but did want to check in. I may go back to posting my menu's. That really helped last time. (Thank's Linda for getting us started on that idea.)

I'll try to catch up tomorrow.