Yikes! Only 5 weeks til Christmas week. And next week is American Thanksgiving. How are you all planning, or are you planning yet, for the holidays?

Have a great week all!

Dagmar

Good morning everyone!

I weigh 132 lbs. this morning. I should be but I feel like I've cheated somehow.

It's so weird sometimes. I initially found it hard to believe the people on "Biggest Loser" didn't know what the scale would show but now I believe it's entirely possible.

I ate waaay over the calorie budget two nights last week and then stayed OP but not under budget for the next three.

And I lost a pound. It's "real" weight too as I drank a lot of water on the weekend and limited myself to two caffeinated drinks per day.

Good start to my week! And I think DH is seriously on board now too. His hernia got worse on the weekend so he's now determined to lose the weight and get the surgery done.

I wonder why it takes a health crisis for most people to seriously start losing the excess? We all know how much better it feels to be slim and OP. I guess the important thing is that we start and continue on the journey .

Have a great week all !!

Dagmar (no food porn this week)

Morning!

Dagmar, it is strange how health problems prompt people in ways other things to, but at least it shows an interest in the body...? Knowing that heart problems run in my family sometimes makes me more attentive to my health goals.

Ladies, I am quite frustrated at the moment, I've been gaining weight since I started a new BC and (though I am nearly positive it will come off as I think it's just water) it is very demotivating...Doing the 30DS everyday and cardio, and being up in weight every day despite good eating habits and lots of water (but not too much!)... I really am at a loss for what to do.

But I did decide to start WW points again because it's helped me before and I don't know why I ever really stopped. This, in conjunction with the 30DS, working long hours (fulltime school and work) and bumping up my water will hopefully help me lose, well, currently to get to goal it's 15 lbs.

Anyway ladies, hope this is a great week for us all. I've been hanging out in the 20s forum more lately as there's a biggest loser challenge I'm part of over there, hopefully this helps too.

P.S. I can't believe it's 5 weeks till christmas. I need to start christmas shopping!!!!

Hi feathers,

I ate food I would not ordinarily have eaten but that's not the issue. I allowed buttons to be pushed and ate myself silly after everyone had gone to bed. Well, today is indeed a new day and I am trying to learn from this experience. (errr, scale up 5 pounds this am)

Carey, that sounds frustrating. Gains after op moments-- well-ok. But being op and seeing gain, even if you know is's tom or new bcp--ugh!!

Mudpie, ya gotta love the unexplained losses. I think that can be chalked up to being a woman and all the hard work you have been doing while being op.

Hi Susan!

later,
Kitty

Only 5 weeks left? That is crazy.. where did this year go? I am excited but then again nervous about thanksgiving. I am excited to see all the family and enjoy wonderful food but I am nervous because of all the wonderful food!! It is so unbelievably hard to keep control during the holidays. What tricks do you have up your sleeves for not overdoing it this year???
Also- I'm looking for something new to bring, food wise, any suggestions? What are you all making?

I am not looking forward to Christmas this year just because I cannot fathom going out shopping. I haven't even asked my kids what they want. I just don't want to shop (which is rather weird).

I'd rather just have a day where we're together--play some games, perhaps go see a movie and have a nice family dinner together.

ack, only 5 weeks!! That means I need to kick my butt in gear for several things:
1 - i don't want to go home weighing more than when i left
2 - arrange get togethers/possible gifts
3 - FINALS. sounds glum but actually I love being back in school, much better than my venture into the "real world"!

Allison, I completely agree with preferring a holiday celebration where we just get together and enjoy each other's company. My family is pretty much of that mindset - we've all decided that there's nothing we really want/need. My mom and I usually try to do something together as a present to each other and my dad and I like to sit down and try a new wine or something and just chat... it's nice. My friends and I generally agree to something like that, which is nice, but then people still end up cheating and bringing presents!!

My kids get mad at me when they ask what I want for Christmas and I say ... I want you all here for a nice family time.

My MIL asked my DS what he wanted and he said that he didn't want her to have to spend that much! He wants a Mac Book computer! He's not getting it. Perhaps when he graduates from high school and is on his way to college (like I did for his sister).

My DD usually says she doesn't want anything, but then comes up with a couple little things.

alinnell: We're the same height and have the same goal (though you're 6lbs closer than I am)! We should be buddies!!

Sometimes it makes me sad that when we think Christmas we instantly get stressed and think of all the shopping we have to do. I remember being a kid and counting the days till Christmas!! I don't ever want to lose that joy!! I know how it is though. I still have a lot of gifts to buy.....

I'm on target for today but am thinking about food right now. I can get really obsessive about food so I have to keep that in check. I could literally eat all day long. For me, it has nothing to do with hunger! It's about the pleasure I get from eating delicious food!! I'm definitely getting better at saying no to things I don't need (like a 2nd brownie) and eating good foods that fill me up....but sometimes I'm SO tempted to binge like there's no tomorrow!! Ack!

I tried, years ago, to get my family to stop giving each other gifts and just enjoy our Christmas celebration.

I don't see that much of any of the folks I spend Christmas with so I don't really know what they like. I kept getting a lot of stuff that I couldn't use/didn't suit me etc. and ended up giving it to Goodwill.

No one paid any attention and I looked quite the twit the first year when I showed up without any gifts. Bless the person who invented the gift card. I know it's not really personal or anything but heck, it's something the recipient can use or gift on to someone else.

DH's family, though they can ill afford to do so, also insist on giving gifts. I just flat out asked his sister what everyone could use (couldn't afford anything the kids wanted).

I start and finish my Christmas shopping for the humans in October. The pets are another story. I'm up to 34 gifts for them (my own, the relatives, and my clients furballs all get gifts from me). I get all of their stuff at the same store but I like to wrap the client dog gifts quite creatively (last year everyone got antlers from the dollar store along with their doggie goodies). That usually takes me several evenings. And yes, DH thinks I'm nuts.

Dagmar

Hi guys

Sorry I've been MIA. I don't really have an excuse other than I didn't really want to fess up to the crap I've been eating .

I have decided to go back to calorie counting and logging my food (bad as I hate to) because although I think I'm eating appropriate portions, apparently I'm not. I just moved my ticker up 2 lbs. I just restarted my weight loss journey 2 weeks ago and I am up 2 lbs. That's not the direction I had in mind .

In catching up on my reading of everyone's posts, I see that I am not alone. That makes me feel a little better (not that I want anyone else to fail) but that we all struggle with this eating thing. But then again, I guess that's why we're all here to support and help each other . I'm hoping to keep the calories between 1200 and 1400 a day. Today was the first day and I logged 1525 calores. A bit over, but I thought it was OK for my first day counting again.

Susan, tomorrow I will think of you standing by me and telling me "make sure you log that food in fitday". And Allison, "get away from that cheese" .

As for the holidays, Thanksgiving I will be serving the traditional meal but will eat small portions and get rid of all leftovers ASAP. DH is a pretty good disposal .

I am almost done with my Christmas shopping; just a few things left to get. I like to get things done early so I can relax a little. We will be going to the in-laws in Wisconsin for Christmas and while I don't think I really eat alot up there, I do always come back with some bloating. What's up with that?

Well, gotta go now. I'll try to keep up with my posting a little better.

Here's to a good week for all

abbyin I don't like the counting and logging either but I find it keeps me honest. If I put my log book on the table when I'm watching TV I have to think before snacking about how many calories those snacks will add to my total.

Usually that's enough to stop me. And I find, if I've planned out the days food in advance and written it all down and totalled it it's easeir to stay OP. I don't have to make choices later on in the day (my weakest time) as I've got what I can eat all written down.

Such a lot of weight loss involves the mind, yes?

Dagmar

Morning!

I guess I have to own up to the pound I gained over the weekend (since it's still here this morning) But that beats heck outta the 5 or 6 I have been gaining over the weekends we were away. That's where the mental part comes in for me. I need to realise when something is 'fairly' good.

Slip slided to the gym last evening. I didn't think DH would want to go because he'd been busy building all weekend, so I did legs in the morning. But he did. I was wobbling thru incline intervals on the treadmill and can definitely feel my quads and gluts this morning.

Is there a smiley like binoculars? I'll be watching you Abbyin!