Good morning! (yawn) Pour me another mug of coffee, will ya? I can't seem to wake up but the gym opens in a bit and I plan on being there when they unlock the doors. On these cold, dark mornings I tell myself I'm but it's the best way for me to get exercise done. Otherwise I make excuses and things come up, then it's the end of the day and I haven't exercised. So early mornings are it!

I was thinking about our dear Goalsuccess's wonderful anniversary post ( ) and what she said about flying without a net now that her clinic is closing. And it popped into my head that we're all each other's safety nets here in Maintainers. If any of us feel ourselves slipping and starting to fall, all we have to do is call out and there will be a dozen hands waiting to haul us in. There is no end to the support here if we reach out. I think we all have a tendency to withdraw when things get tough and we slip, but that's when we need to reach out the most. And there's never a reason to be embarrassed ... who among us hasn't messed up countless times? Certainly not me!!

So to all who are struggling; all lapsers, relapsers, and total collapsers -- come on home. We're here for you.

Things are going pretty well for me, but I just realized (duh!) how fast the holidays are approaching. I need to do some serious damage control planning! Otherwise, I'm still clawing my way back in the gym and still going to PT for my knees and back.

Enough rambling from me -- how are you this morning?

I'm now weighing myself every day before, during and after the weekend and it seems to have worked well the first time out. 133 lbs on Friday and still there today.

I'm off to do my yoga (had a rest/nap day yesterday) and will see what everyone else is up to later on today.

Have a great week all!

Dagmar

Good morning!

Great post, Meg. I find it's really easy to come here and chat when all is going well, but I tend to avoid posting when I am in a slump. It should be the opposite, right?

Morning, Dagmar.

Oh, happy day! My husband's driving carpool this morning so that means I can take back to back classes at the gym. Group Ride, Group Power here I come.

Good morning!

Goalsuccess: that WAS a very touching post, indeed You know you will never gain the weight back because, as Meg said, you have all of us here for support! You can vent your frustrations any time; we all have our moments. You have formed healthy habits ever since you started losing your weight that you have followed so well by now that there is no reason why you can't continue

WardHog - I do the same thing - when I feel like I am in a slump regarding weight loss, life, or otherwise, I tend not to post here. My logic is that I don't want to be a downer, but then again... talking about how I feel is probably healthy, right?

Meg - great post
And good morning, Dagmar

I will most likely have more to say later... just wanted to stop by and say hi.

Good morning everyone,

It is really so much easier for me to get up now that it's light out when I do. Another front came through this weekend, but it was still sunny and calm. I need to start watching the weather more closely for freezing in case I need to haul my plants inside. Another plus of the new house is that I have much better windows, sun-wise, to have plants indoors.

Saturday the memorial for our friend went really well. Everyone told funny stories about him, repeated his jokes (he always had a joke for you!), and toasted him - as someone there said "his funeral in Georgia was his spiritual send-off, this is his social send-off". It was sad, but really nice and fun too.

goal, CONGRATULATIONS on your one year anniversary!!!!! It's a wonderful milestone for a maintainer - says see, you can lose weight and keep it off. I'm sorry your center is closing, but as already been said, we would all love to continue to help support you when you need it! Everyone here can relate to what you're going through, which can be invaluable especially if you don't have someone IRL who can relate. We'll see you here all year and for your 2-year anniversary, too.

Meg, over the weekend BF and I made our Turkey Day plans and I had the same thought. Must make holiday plans! They'll be here before we know it.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Hi all! Congrats, goal, on your success! You are an inspiration to me too!!

I spent the weekend at a writers conference I have attended every year for the past 4 years. I really focused a lot of my energy this past year on my weight loss and management and my writing has suffered. It was a good trade, don't get me wrong!! But this weekend really made me think about my writing goals and how to achieve them. I heard a speaker talk about how if someone watches 1 hr of tv a day, that translates into 9 40 hr work weeks a year. I don't watch much tv, but I do spend well over an hr a day on 3FC. I'm not leaving, I promise! But I am going to approach writing the same way I approached my weight loss and running. How did I lose 50 pounds? Daily choices!!! That is going to be how I approach my writing. Daily discipline...writing when I "feel like it" and writing when I don't. Just like my eating and exercising. Small efforts add up when they are consistent. No excuses!!!!

So I'll still check in daily---it's the 2+ hrs of daily surfing that I need to use for writing. Wish me luck!!! (although we all know that accomplishment is not based on "luck", don't we? It's the nitty gritty hard work, planning, and just DOING it that makes us reach our goals).

Just popping in to say hi! Things are going well here. I'm oscillating wildly between desperately, painfully tired, and completely OK, which is a switch from the constant dragging for the last few months. Probably means I'm not drinking enough coffee.

Anne

Hi--mind if I drop in?

I'm coming up on the two-year anniversary of when I "got serious" about losing--and the 1 yr. 5 mo. anniversary of reaching my goal weight.

And that's why I'm really unhappy that my weight is up. I was doing OK, but up and down, for a long time--but a trip in October threw me completely off balance. Last night we went to a concert, and my concert clothes were too tight. I couldn't button the jacket. The pants were barely holding together. This tells me that the pounds I am up (about 7) are not all muscle mass --that and my body fat % reading.

I don't mind too much if I am unable to lose more weight, but I really don't want to gain.

I have resisted the idea of "constant vigilance," preferring the concept of "constant awareness." However, awareness isn't enough if decisions don't go along with it.

So, thanks for listening.

Oh, Meg, p.s., I read that Obama eats almost the same thing for dinner every night--salmon, broccoli, and rice. Think we can convert him to green beans now and then?

Jay

Good morning everyone!

Terribly busy, but I needed to post to save my subscription!!!

Congrats, goal!!!

To all of us that get up early: my DD's boyfriend, who writes to me on Facebook, asked me (last night at 1 AM) if was a morning person. To which I replied at 5:30 AM today, that yes, I am!!! (I had already been up over an hour!)

JayEll~don't fret. You know what you need to do to get back to goal.

Anne~was it windy in your parts Sunday? My goodness, we about blew away here!

midwife~I totally agree that goals should be written. 19 years ago, I wrote my goals. Then I found out I was pregnant. I tucked those goals into my What to Expect when you're Expecting book and forgot about them. Then when I got pregnant again I found those goals. I made up my mind during pregnancy #2 that I WOULD meet those goals post pregnancy. And I did! Of course after 5 years I gained it back, so here I am!

Jay--
Trips can send me way off too. It can be hard to get back "in the swing" of things. I hope you can find yourself back on track!

Hi Anne! Glad you are doing more or less ok....

midwife-- I know what you mean about getting sucked into the internet. It is so easy. Like anything in our life, we need balance. I am also going to try not to get "lost" on the internet.

Megan-- I agree-- it is easier to get up early when it is lighter outside. However, it is getting dark so early and then I feel like going to bed and will be 7 pm!

Shane-- Hi! Hope you have a great week!

WardHog-- back to back classes. WOW! That is ambitious!

Dagmar-- glad your "weighing in" plan is working. I weigh myself everyday regardless so I know where I am. My scale keeps giving me a weight and saying "battery" so I better replace my battery before it goes dead!

Meg-- great post about us being each other's nets.

I am excited because I have today and tomorrow off from work! A four day weekend!! My daughter is home with me too (schools are closed). She and I are off to the gym soon, to get flu shots, go to the bank, and other exciting plans. She is having a friend spend the night, go to the movies, etc., so it should be fun.

Tonight I have my first training for WW. I am excited and can't wait to learn more.

I have a question/dilemma regarding maintenance. I still feel like I don't know how to "do" maintenance. When I stick to plan 100%, I am still losing weight (about 1/2 pound a week). That would be ok, but at some point, I will be too thin.... I have to weigh between 120-150 to work for WW so I can't go below 120 (I don't think that would EVER happen, but I didn't think I would EVER go below 135 and I have). If I deviate from plan AT ALL, I instantly gain. I deviated just a tad this weekend and am up 1.5 pounds this morning. How do you balance maintaining so that you just maintain without gaining or losing weight? Really, I wasn't bad this weekend but we ate 2 meals out and I had small deserts with the meals-- I'm wondering if it is more sodium gain than anything?

Im back. I don't get much time to post but i do read this almost everyday. I should go back and read the safety net post, in the past few weeks a few pounds have creeped back, and while its only a few, i want to stop it before a few becomes, well, more than a few. Friday and saturday were NOT on plan. I went out, drank, and on saturday peanut butter was involved . Today im up 3.5 pounds more than normal, although im sure some of its bloat. Anyway, back on track today, and NO BITES LICKS OR TASTES. Damn you white chocolate peanut butter.

OMG!

Happy Monday to all!

I had a horrible eating day Saturday. I will blame it on PMS, although I hate dragging out that excuse. You know how it is when you just cannot get full? That was me, and since there was ice cream and cookies around, I partook of some (or more than some )
I did eat better yesterday and ran for 4 miles.

So, the scale shows up today by 2+ pounds, but I know a lot of that is water retention on top of the empty stomach feeling!

White chocolate peanut butter? Quick, where do you live?

Dagmar

Was flipping through yet another catalogue (shopping on the net has its down side) and came upon chocolate covered mini fruitcakes .

Fruitcake is kinda like big dogs -you either love it or hate it !

My mom had this major fruitcake production a couple of months before Christmas every year. She made 4 - two big and two small - and they were amazing!

She didn't make the sticky sweet kind with the gunky icing (I apologize to those who love that kind). Hers was lighter and just chock full of fruit, nuts, and brandy. I always helped her bake it and I got to arrange the glacee cherries and almonds on top for decoration. Twice a week for the six weeks leading up to Christmas mom would descend to the basement, unwrap the cakes, and dab them liberally with brandy from a measuring cup.In our later years mom and I would soak the cakes and ourselves .

I still miss my mom sometimes. Not gonna bake any fruitcake myself mind you, but it was a fun thing we did together for so many years.

How about you all? What are your favorite Christmas foods?
(I know we're not supposed to go on about "bad" foods but hey! that's what the holidays are mostly about, yes?)

Dagmar (no fruitcake here)