Hey there Challengettes -

Thought I'd start the thread early since I'm "in the groove"

Where the heck did the past three weeks go? Can you believe we're about to embark on Week 4?

The Party Challenge has already started for me... a friends 50th Bday over the weekend... my 4th yr Anniversary this Friday the 15th, dinners out with friends twice this week, and two business lunches as well - and that's just this week!

Then the following week Thanksgiving...

What can help? Beside portion control (thanks Melissa for reminding me)... stocking up on low point snacks... come on I know there are some fabulous cooks in our gang... how about some easy tasty concoctions???

And revving up the exercise to earn and burn more points. All thoughts welcome!

Good luck, Patch. I don't know if I could be of much help, other than suggesting that you try to plan ahead and engage in mindful eating. Much overeating during this season I believe happens when we eat without thinking. I'm not really one to talk. I've been mindlessly eating several days this week.

Thanksgiving week is going to be a real challenge for me. The day after Thanksgiving I'm attending a wedding. Give me strength.

Hello friends. One big fat depressed LM here. Managed to GAIN 3.5 # this week, through persistent overeating spurred on by self-destructive tendencies...back on the wagon.
Monday weigh-in 138
M: 26.5
T: 23.5
W: 32.5
T:
F:
S:
S:

Patch: It's hard to believe we're starting Week #4...time sure is slipping by. I was looking at the calendar this morning and realized there are only 42 days until Christmas! Yikes!

Myra: You'll do okay Thanksgiving week...the key is planning, portions, journaling...all of which we know we can do My challenge will be being off without structure of work. I'm trying to come up with ideas of what I can do to stay busy and out of the kitche.

Laurel: Pull yourself up and pat yourself on the back; we're all human and we have our little side trips, the important thing is that you're back on the road again.

Patch, I'm trying to think of different things that are low points and help keep me satisfied. One of the things I've been eating is lowfat whipped cottage cheese on toast or English muffin. We have a brand here, Friendship, that spreads easily and tastes good. I sprinkle a little salt & pepper on it or else a little Splenda with cinnamon for a quick breakfast/snack that keeps me satisfied.

Hey all -

Went to WW weigh in and lost .5 lbs gotta tell you - I was hoping for something more substantial after two weeks... but the week befor last was not pretty.

LM - Hang in there. Maintanance is a b--ch. We just don't get the same rewards as losing it the first (or 2nd) time. I don't know if this is true for you, but this time it's taking me a huge effort to eat within points.. I'm with ya in the "G-d I feel fat" department... and what I ate two weeks ago got me so upset I couldn't even get on the scale. But I want to do a reality check for myself, maybe you and perhaps other gettes out there??

I know I was 160 lbs when I started WW. I'm 139 today. Yeah I'm bummed that I'm not at 130 or even official goal wieght of 135 but - heck - at least I'm not back at 160!

Myra - I too have a tough Thanksgiving week at the In-laws (all 20 of them) for a 4 day weekend. Help! I think of you and the rest of the gang and try to plan ahead.

Melissas - thanks for the eng muf idea. I'm not much of a cottage cheese fan but I'll give it a go.

141.6
139.6
139.1 today

Patch: I'm not a huge cottage cheese fan either but this isn't bad. I'm picky about what I eat and found that this really sticks with me. If you can't get whipped cottage cheese at the store just get the 1% and blend until smooth. You could also add fruit to the top if you like sweet stuff. I prefer more the "savory" flavor.

I feel puffy and bloated this morning so I took a quick 10-minute walk before work to get things moving. I feel like such a slug in the mornings lately. It's coming along to my TOM and I know this is part of the equation. Anyway, here are my numbers for the week and I'll post my weigh in after my meeting at noon.

Wed: 18.5
Thur: 23 (2 AP)
Fri: 26.5 (1 AP)
Sat: 27
Sun: 22 (2 AP)
Mon: 21 (1 AP)
Tue: 20.5

Week 1: 137.2
Week 2: 137.6
Week 3: 137.0
Week 4: 137.0

Staying the same is good, especially since it's Pre-TOM.

Thanks Melissa -

Monday -- 22 ( banked 3 & earned 2 acty pts)
Tuesday - 26 - 1 = 25 (still have 3 banked and 3 actvy pts)
Wed ------ 29 - 4 actvy pts = 25 the sauces got me
Thur ------ 23 (banked 2, earned 3 acty)

Fri -------- 36 - 5 act pts = 31 Anniversary Party (say a prayer)
Sat -------- 40 - 10 pts = 30 (2 hour racewalk)
Sun ------- 32 - 7 = 25

I think I'm fooling myself -- there might even be a weight gain from all this.

Hi everybody. Let me post my numbers quickly and move on - oh, the pain of it all. (These are obviously for last week.)

M - 29 (3 activity)
T - 26 (4)
W - 29 (0)
T - 25 (3)
F - 31 (0)
S - 25 (0)
S - 30 (3)

Actually, Friday to Sunday inclusive is an educated guess since I didn't journal. I am up a pound this morning from my 4 lb loss from last week, so am thankful that I didn't blow it completely. Guess the exercise helped.

Patch and Myra: Yes, you do have some challenges coming up but you have had them before and will again. All of the strategies mentioned are good ones - especially exercise and being aware of what you're putting in your mouth. You can do this.

Laurel: Chin up. Get back on the wagon and you'll find you can lose it just as quickly as you gained it. (hasn't been there long enough to get a good solid hold)

Melissa: Good luck with weigh-in. The whipped cottage cheese doesn't sound half-bad. I kinda swore off cottage cheese after a particularly bad diet a few years ago. Ate way too much of it and have a hard time to look at it ever since.

Not too many challenges for me this week. We may go out for dinner on Saturday nite but I'm usually pretty good about ordering healthy food. My goal is to journal faithfully and to stay away from the leftover hallowe'en candy. Yes, it's still around and yes, I'm still eating it like there's no consequence. Go figure.

Just back from my meeting -- the first I've been to in over a month. Hopefully it will give me the motivation I need to start losing again. According to my home scale I stayed more or less the same from last week although I am up 3.2 lbs. from the last time I officially weighed in at WW. Hopefully despite all my financial problems, sugar problems and other stresses I can start to see those numbers decline again. What I decided to do is go up one ww range since the 18-23 range is ridiculous with my hypoglycemic diet -- just can't do that. I figured I'm better off having a more realistic range rather than keeping on blowing it. Wish me luck this coming week.

Here is what last week looked like (it was even higher as in many cases I stopped journaling at dinner time):
Wed 26
Thur 26
Fri didn't journal after breakfast
Sat 24
Sun 24
Mon 27
Tue 24

I'm with you Myra... I lost all my weight with the points limit at 25 and did just fine - and there were days when I easily went to 27 or 30. Why mess with success? I'm not 20 (or even 30 yikes 40!) anymore and I just don't want to starve myself. That always ends with me eating way over.

It's just so good to have all of you here...LM, Melissa, KT, Seasaw, Lala (where are ya?).

Well the Italian dinner def put me over the points edge. I thought I was ordering shrimp scampi - but it came in gobs of pink champagne sauce - I just didn't have the heart to send it back.

Today hopefully a lower point day...
Tomorrow is our A day Parteeee.

Patch: Enjoy your party! I wouldn't have sent my dinner back either.

I found a great cracker at the store last evening. They were located by the gourmet cheese section and they are crispy and tasty, perfect for me. Anyway, 15 crackers are 2 points (125 cal; 2 Fat; 1 Fiber). They're called Original Savory Thins and the box looks like a woven basket. It has "Sesmark" and "Kameda" on it. They have no preservatives, no artificial flavors, and no artificial colors. They do have sesame seeds. Anyway, it's a great cracker for the Laughing Cow Cheese.

I'm off tomorrow so have a good weekend everyone!

Okay, I have been terribly absent at this party.

My Thanksgiving goal is to maintain and not get stressed out and start munching my way back up the scale.

I have our thanksgiving celebration next saturday. I guess I get so whomped in the prep, that I don't even want to eat. Its the entertaining of the out of town guests that is bad. I have many scones, coffee cakes etc to prepare.

My low point saves for the holidays are few. I like side dishes and a baked sweet potato is low points, add a bit of cranberry relish and its pretty good. I am doing a brussel sprout and chestnut side that should be pretty low points. Creamed onions with mace use milk instead of cream. We always have applesauce, steamed hubbard squash (bleah) at the table too.

I also try not to have too many leftovers in the house. That also helps.

As for low points munchies - crackers are good (hazelnut thins), baba ganoush is a fave and we're going big on crudite this year.

I agree with Patch, exercise is also the key. I am going to challenge myself to seven days next week. i need to make up for a sorry lack of exercise at the end of this week. Its also a good excuse to get out of the house and have some me time.

lala