Good Afternoon, Flowers! It's another cold (-12 this morning) but sunny day in my corner of the world. The "weather" is suppose to move in tomorrow; now it is 3 - 6" of snow with wind. Great, just great . . . NOT! I covered for Bob's secretary for an hour and a half this morning and then went for a perm which was scheduled for tomorrow. She had a cancellation so called to see if I could come in. I just got home and it's too late in the day to start any major projects. I should make a bread and milk run in case the weather forecast comes true.

We must have been a chatty bunch this past week since we rolled over to page 2 with 16 posts! I see now that it's all on one page . . . gremlins are at work again!

"Gma" -- I always thought a covered head kept one warmer. That's why they keep hats on newborns although my kids never had a hat. Bob won't eat anything FF if he can help it. He'll drink 1% milk but that's it. I'm not a milk drinker so that doesn't bother me at all. I'll bet you can get your socks done in time . . . you are fast! I really do think that joining WW and facing the scale each week is a good plan. I'm not crazy about the leader here and her meetings leave a lot to be desired, but yet it's a good plan to stick with.

Maggie -- Congrats on the 4.4# loss! I can send and get emails from everyone except sending emails to you. I'll be curious to see if it works today since the tech was on my computer when I left this morning. He did run a different version of spyware than what I have. I'm to say that I'm one who weighs in and doesn't stay for the meetings very often.

Susan -- I'm sorry, but I just had to at you wearing a thermal undershirt when it's 36 degrees outside. That would be a heat wave around here right now. I must admit I've worn two layers more than once this winter. I should invest in some long johns so I could walk outside; I'd need new boots too, kind of like big tread boots. You will enjoy a two day work week! What days did you choose? Good WW leaders are hard to come by for sure. Be sure to share any tidbits from the newsletters you get. Enjoy your dinner out tonight! I hope wherever you go is WW friendly.

I'm waiting for the mail to come and should unload the dishwasher so it looks like I accomplished something today. Have a nice evening and stay warm!

Jean -- in Iowa!

Good morning to you all! It is again very cold here, at least for our part of the country. They keep talking a snowstorm tonight (2-4") which for us is a blizzard. I have clinic tomorrow, but school may be closed it snows overnight tonight. They don't have school in horrible blizzards like we have..... I would rather they keep the kids at home as these idiots can't drive in snow at all.

Susan: Thanks for the incense info. I didn't know the significance of it. Have you ever tried cuddly duds? Kelly swears by them for warmth. I thought joining the website and joining in person were separate and you have to pay separately, ie pay your $39 a month for your epass then pay another $12 when you go to a meeting. I can't afford to do both. I still get the magazine, in fact got it yesterday and enjoy reading everything. It is just ready to expire so I will be getting it again when I join. I am going to have to do the week to week route until next month then plan on buying their coupons to use for weekly meetings.

Maggie: Right now I am not accomplishing much with my socks because the cold has really made my hands sore. I can't knit very fast when they are stiff. I read in the WW mag yesterday that being overweight can cause carpel tunnel, but my hands are the only non-pudgy things on my whole body! I wear size 7 rings and would wear size 6's but my knuckles are swollen from arthritis so I can't get a ring over them. My size 7's roll around on my fingers, but I can't do anything about it since I can't get a 6 over my knuckles. Big on your losses. I normally stay for meetings, but I have a dr appt at 1:20 and the weigh in is at 12:30 so I know I can't stay for the first meeting. I am hoping I can get in, get set up and weighed then rush to the doctor's, which isn't too far away from the WW meeting.

Jean: Heaven help us, I do not know how you and Bob live in that weather all the time. I can't believe how cold it is up there, but I did see the Farmer's Almanac was saying colder wetter weather this year for most of the country and I believe it for here! Jean, I will make you a pair of socks if you give me foot and ankle circumference too. I will have to think of something else for Susan. She makes her own socks so mine would be poor substitutes.

I hear Jack upstairs and he is about done and ready to come downstairs for breakfast so I better go. Everybody keep warm and inside if at all possible if you are in bad weather. Have a great day today! Remember to stay OP today!
Faye

This is my post from yesterday. I didn't see the new thread and posted on the old one last night.

Good afternoon, ladies! Way up to 36 degrees today, but for here that is cold and we don't have the clothes for it. I've been wearing a thermal undershirt undershirt under my sweaters.

I forgot to come back here since I posted on Sunday! Just had a lot to do. I had a talk with my boss and told him I wanted to cut back to 2 days a week. I'll have to tighten the budget, but I'm tired of working. He tried for 3 but I stuck with 2 and he finally agreed. Money isn't worth it if you can't enjoy your life while you earn it.

Last night was back to Bible Study. I really love it and my group has the best discussions.

Tonight I am going to dinner with 4 friends to a restaurant I'm not familiar with and they don't have a website so I'm hoping I can find something for reasonable points. I've allotted 10 but still have 20 WPAs I can dip into if I have to.

Faye, Can you get the monthly pass in your area? It's $39 a month and you get etools, too. I love my etools. You can sign up on the WW website and print your pass to take to the meeting. Cancelling is just as easy and I had no problem when I did it sometime ago (and when I rejoined everything was still there). We also get a little newsletter every week at the meeting now that has more on the topic of the week, a recipe, coupon, and other stuff. I really like them. This week is starting the 10-week Challenge and I know it will be helpful to me. Every week it will focus on a different part of WW. This week is food. My friend who was going with me on Saturday can't go to that meeting anymore so I am going back to Friday meetings. Both leaders are nice and good and inspiring and have great meetings, but Friday's is just that little bit more and she's the one who sends us a monthly newsletter, recipes, etc. On the incense question - Catholics use incense during important services to symbolize the prayers of the congregation rising to heaven. One of the gifts traditionally associated with the Magi was frankincense. (We celebrated the arrival of the Magi last Sunday.) This aromatic resin was part of the traditional incense associated with the Old Testament Temple of Solomon. I know, too much info.

Jean, I'd have to stay in the house all winter with those temperatures. I have to cover my face with a scarf now to go out. The cold air really gets to me.
There is a more open area of water that I can't see from my house and the ducks probably went there and came back when they knew I usually fed them.

Maggie, Congratulations on the big loss to start the new year! I think I'm going to love the WW Challenge. It's just what we need with all our New Year's resolutions. I'm sorry you had to give your kittens away. If you get more, keep a squirt bottle of water around and give them a spray whenever they do something you don't want them to do. That's how Cupid was trained and he is the best cat I've ever had. WW probably looked at the area that ate the most Egg McMuffins and tried there sandwich out there.

Well, That's all folks! Have a good evening.
__________________
Susan

HW 356 pounds - CW 164 - WWG 155 - PG 140

Strive for progress not perfection.
Success comes in cans; failure comes in can'ts.


I'll come back this evening with more.

Faye, I checked Memphis and you must be in a franchise and they don't offer Monthly Pass. Too bad because I love my etools and find it very helpful and as I said I only pay $39 for both so it saves nearly $25 a month over separate meetings and etools.

Good evening, ladies - cold here down in the 20s tonight, but warm for Jean and Maggie. It's all in what we are used to. We may get some snow tomorrow and Friday so the kids will probably get a day off. I guess the price of fruits from Florida will skyrocket as it is freezing there, too.

Didn't really do anything today but go to work and come home. I'll be glad when Thursday is over and I can get back to staying inside. I have First Thursday bee tomorrow night. They want to go to a Mexican restaurant and I'm thinking I'll opt out because it doesn't work well with the GERD.

Faye, If you go to WW this week, we can all do the 10 week Challenge together and maybe share our answers. That would be inspiring for me!
I hope you don't get any snow, either.

Jean, I think all I do is unclutter. I wonder if I'll ever get it done but only have 2 rooms and the attic to go. How we ever accumulated all this "stuff" is beyond me. A lot is from Stan being a pack rat. I'm aiming to work Tuesday and Thursday so far. I might change that if something special comes up.

Maggie, thanks for sharing the Week 1 Challenge. I printed out the bookmarks and am thinking about it now. 10 things is a lot to think of.

I've attached a couple of pictures since last night. I'm the one with the black hat. We sure had a good time.

Tonight at 8 pm on Discovery Health Channel there will be a program about Eric who won the Biggest Loser 3 and gained all the weight back. I'm going to watch that. I know one of his problem is working in a Deli.

Have a good evening.

Good morning to you all! It is very cold and snowing here which means lots of accidents and stupid people on the road. I am waiting for Jack to call me and let me know he got to work ok. We have a lot of up in the air interstate roads, which means a lot of slick roads and people drive too fast here on bad roads. I went out and took out the trash this morning then swept off the deck. The county schools are closed so I have no clinic today. I am going to go out around noon and join WW as long as they are going to be open today since I have nothing to do this afternoon with the schools closed. City schools are open, but the temps are plummeting so I imagine they will be closed tomorrow.

Susan: I take it I will receive stuff on the ten week challenge when I go today? I look forward to a good challenege. I am doing very well back strong on WW and having no trouble. I have a bit of hunger, mostly later evening, but I just ignore it and go upstairs and watch tv if it is stronger. You look nothing like I imagined, but then neither did Jean when I saw her pic the first time! You are a beautiful woman none the less and cute hat. I can't wear hats like that, I look ridiculous. I only look good in hats with big brims.

Jean: I guess I didn't make it clear we didn't want your poopy snow... We are going to get your artic air too, which I don't look forward to. I guess the gas stations and grocery stores were overrun, as usual. People think an inch of snow is going to cause them to be stranded or something. It is so stupid. They have known for a week we were expecting this and they wait until last night then flood gas and groceries. Oh, make sure you send your shoe size too when you email me your measurements. In exchange, I will let you come here and wrap Christmas presents next year!

Maggie: Like I told Jean, when you send you measurements, make sure you send your shoe size too.

I better get going. I want to finish the upstairs cleaning this morning first thing so I have tomorrow and the rest of the weekend free to get stuff done. We have commissary shopping to do and mother hubbard's cupboard is about bare.

Try and have a good day everyone! Faye Let's be OP again today!

Evening gals. Since I can't sleep at the moment and we are heading out early to get groceries tomorrow morning, (Jack took tomorrow off so he could stay up late tonight and watch the BCS bowl game,) I thought I would post for tomorrow tonight! lol

I am officially a WW person now. I went to the meeting today and signed back up. Considering the holidays, I didn't gain that much so don't have a lot to come back to from my initial losses from May. I have to switch my tracker again, but am going to wait until I weigh with the dr tomorrow and see what their scale says.

Maggie: What kind of a scale are you talking about? I would be happy to get anything I can use with my ww stuff. Hope you don't freeze to death. It is super cold for this area here tonight. The downstairs is a good 10 degrees colder than the upstairs.

Jean: Our snow is pretty much gone for the most part though it is really cold here tonight. You will certainly have a case of cabin fever when this weather finally breaks and it warms up in your area though they said you guys are going to have bad weather for awhile yet.

Here are my 10 things about tracking I learned:

1 you put more in your mouth then you realize if you don't track
2 it keeps me honest
3 I seem to have extra snacking points this way everyday I can use
4 my portion control is much better
5 i know what kind of activity I am doing
6 helps me to tweak where I am weak in foods, ie veggies, etc
7 helps me to better balance out what I eat
8 helps me keep better control of fiber and such for my colon health
9 can go back and find pts for recipes I have made previously easily if I have my tracking sheets
10 helps me know what foods to buy when I shop

there you go! I have never had trouble tracking as I will probably continue to do it even into maintenance. I guess maybe I have more time than other people who work to get it done everyday.

Well gals, bathroom then bed for me as we want to get up early. Have a nice day tomorrow. Faye
4

Good afternoon, ladies! It was 53 degrees when I left at 9:15 for the Quilt Guild Meeting and at 11:30 when we came out is was down to 41 and now it's 33. We had barely a dusting of snow in the night so they must have put the schools on a 1 hour delay because the buses were picking up when I was going to the meeting. There was more snow to the north and west and a couple of my friends decided not to come to the meeting because of it.

Faye, congratulations on rejoining WW. You'll love the scale Maggie wants to send you. I use mine several times a day. I can put an apple on the platform, enter 'ap' and press enter and it pulls up apple and I can press points and find out that big apple is actually 2 points not the one I thought. All the nutritional info has the weight in grams and it will compute the points when you enter calories, fat and fiber and serving size. And of course you can just weigh things on it in ounes or grams. It's a huge help to me. You are off to a good start on the 10-Week Challenge. I'm taking my completed bookmark to my meeting tomorrow and so can impress everyone thanks to Maggie sending it to us.

Jean, I found filters for the that fit in the heat/air registers in every room and it does cut down on the dust some. They were pretty inexpensive at the hardware store. When I lived in Ohio I was in Akron, 50 miles from Cleveland and we had cold and snow similar to yours. That lake effect snow is something else. I remember driving in whiteouts and hoping I'd not be in a accident before I got home from work.

Maggie, I think you are our leader for staying on track this year. You give us so much helpful information and I love it! We need to get back to our recipe thread.

I had lunch out today with my friends - and dinner last night before bee - so I'll be having a light supper of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. I did okay and have WPAs and APs left over this week. Today for lunch I had 1 slice of cheese pizza and a small Italian salad. Last night I had chicken frajitas and just ate that, not the tortillas and not the chips, but I did have 1/4 of a piece of chocolate cake, which was the dessert for the bee, and some grapes.

Good morning to you all! It is still cold here and I am looking forward to next week and the warm back up.

I am still on the doctor yoyo. They have decided I have no endometrial tissue but the gyn head at my clinic doesn't like the fact I have had spotting infrequently so another ultrasound and they are putting me on progesterone, which I am not to happy about. I did quiz my doctor on whether I had more of a chance of cancer, heart attack, clots exc, and she said it shouldn't be a problem. I guess HRT meds are a combo of progesterone and estrogen and this is a single drug, which makes it a bit less of a risk. So another round of ultrasound then we shall see what they think. I also talked to her about leaving and she is personally going to pick a doctor for me according to my requests. We talked for about 10 minutes about it. I am going to miss her when she leaves this summer as she has been a really good doctor, proactive and really helpful with all aspects of my health.

Susan: I imagine you are having the same freezing weather we are having. I haven't decided what day I am going to go to WW as I want to find a good fit for me. I like my WW meeting place a lot, but I may check out the main WW center for Memphis, which is over by Kelly's house. They have tons of meetings there to choose from. My WW has mainly afternoon and evening meetings.

Maggie: Thanks for sending the scale. I will definitely use it bunches. Jack will too as he usually measures the weight over taking the # of a package, ie 1 oz of chips over 13 chips. If you would let me know when you ship and if you ship usps, ups or what, I would appreciate it. My gate is broken in back and I have put a maintenance call in but they haven't fixed it yet. I too string and tied the thing closed to keep Fortune from getting out so I will have to make sure it is undone so they will deliver it.

Jean: I think your state is in for a very rough winter. It doesn't look like you are going to be digging out or warming up anytime soon. I know you have to be hearing the call of those Hawaiian waves!

Everyone have a wonderful day. We are just going to hang out today and relax I think. Time for cereal and fruit for breakfast! Faye