Starting the topic - be right back.

Karen - Congratulations on the maintain - I think your goal is a smart one - mine is the same - to maintain through the holidays is a real accomplishment - we'll do it together! I hope Gen had a great birthday. Old? Oh pshaw! The antibiotics have done there work - Max is just fine (wreaking some monor havoc) - aren't those youngsters funny?

Carla - Congratulations on your loss! Yuck - network marketing - I agree with you on nailing shut the lid on that coffin! WAY TO GO on Thanksgiving! I'd say that was a huge victory. I hope the weekend went as well. I can't say I've ever had Korean food but would love to try it some time. I hope that's where you went. Thanks for the Hanukkah wishes!

I had a pretty good Thanksgiving - it was a bit crazy at my cousin's but we had a good time. I had a few drinks but just had a few appetizers (and one taste each of the higher point ones) and was so busy in the kitchen carving 2 turkeys that by the time I got to sit down, I had a bit of most things (and the stuffing was my lower point stuffing) but didn't have time (or the energy) for seconds. I had a few tastes of various desserts and had a piece of my pumpkin pie (lower point variety) but didn't go nuts. All in all, like Carla, I left the table satisfied but not at all stuffed.

Coming home on Friday I started to feel like I was giving into the cold. I had a full blown head cold on Saturday (I didn't go to my meeting but slept in instead) so we cancelled plans we had to go out to dinner and it turned into a chest cold yesterday. I stayed home (in bed) while Tony went to see my FIL. I think I've headed off bronchitis so far - I'm working from home but am going to try to take it easy today.

Have a great one!
Judy
163.6/156/135 (last week's numbers)

Hi all,

Judy - It sounds like you had a very successful Thanksgiving. I'm sorry to hear you have a head cold - I'll send positive vibes to keep the bronchitis away. Korean food is very good, I think. It can be very spicy, which I love. We went to a restaurant where they do the grilling at the table. The meat is good, but I absolutely love all the little side dishes they bring out, mostly veggies. It's healthy eating. When will you be celebrating Hannukah? My mouth is watering at the thought of latkes.

I hit the chocolate a bit yesterday - not sure why it was so tempting to me, but it was. Today's John's birthday. I'll be cooking him swiss steak in the crockpot. I'll use the low fat cream of mushroom soup for the gravy so that will be ok. He loves to have kasha (buckwheat) with this dinner, so that's a very point friendly choice. So all I'll have to save points for is a glass of wine and a piece of cake.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla

Happy Monday!

Judy - sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving, and good for you for sticking to little tastes of the high point stuff! Hope you'll soon be over your cold. I think that a maintain over the holidays is probably far more realistic considering all the food challenges. Glad to hear that Max is wreaking havoc again. Jasper is going at full tilt this morning. He has to go for his last puppy shot this morning, so with any luck it may slow him down for the rest of the day.

Carla - Happy Birthday to John! Dinner sounds great. I love using my crockpot; I should really get it out more often at this time of year. In fact, you've just inspired me to make my crockpot vegetarian chili for dinner for tomorrow night! I got into an almond Mars bar yesterday...chocolate must have been the theme of the day for us. However, sanity prevailed, and I got on the treadmill (which counts calories burned too), and walked of the exact number of Mars bar calories I ate!

I've had a mixed weekend. Saturday we went out for Jen's birthday dinner, I had crabbed stuffed mushrooms, mussells, and tiramisu. Sunday I stayed within range, drank my water and exercised. I'm off today and tomorrow, and on Wed/Thurs have to attend a conference. I work Friday, and then am off for the weekend. Definitely my kind of work week!

Have a great day!

Karen

Hi y'all!

No, I'm not from the South, but I love saying "y'all". LOL

I just recommitted to doing WW on my own last Friday.
You can read my story in the "Is There Room For One More
Thread".

My hangouts are here and in Alternachicks.

Since I started on a Friday, I think I will stick to Friday weigh-in's
for now.

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

Sabrina

165.5/???/125-135
start/current/goal

Good Morning!

Tuesday already! Had a very good day yesterday. I ate within range, journaled, drank almost enough water, went to the gym, took the dogs out to the beach, and felt pretty good about my accomplishments. At this rate, I may even lose some weight!

Today I have to take FIL to physiotherapy, and that's it for set things to do. I'm going to put dinner on in the crockpot first thing, and then I'll do whatever I darned well feel like doing for the rest of the day.

Sabrina, your southern accent sounds pretty authentic to me! Nice to have another westcoaster!

Hope you all have a great day!

Karen

Carla - Happy (belated) birthday to John. That dinner sounded great - I'm sure it was. I LOVE kasha - haven't had it in quite a while. I'm glad you went to the Korean restaurant. I love spicy food too - I'll have to try it sometime. We are actually celebrating Hanukkah with my parents, sister and bil on Saturday - we're faking it because the holiday actually ends on Friday but this weekend wasn't going to work so soon after Thanksgiving, so there it is. My mom is frying latkes as we speak - she has found that if she makes them in advance, freezes them and reheats them, they are just as good and she and I get to spend time with everyone instead of frying while everyone else is eating. I'll have to save up some points for them - they are good and worth the points once a year. Sorry to hear about the chocolate.

Karen - I had to laugh about Jasper - I hope he did well at the vets and the shot just slowed him down a tad! Good for you for making up the Mars bar on the treadmill! That crockpot vegetarian chili sounds great - would you believe though? I don't have a crockpot. It sounds as if your Sunday probably made up for your Saturday - good for you for an OP day yesterday!!! It does feel good, doesn't it? I wish I could join you in the exercise but I think I have to give myself a day or two more before starting anything - and I'll start with just a little yoga. Good luck with the physiotherapy for you FIL today.

Sabrina - Welcome! Congratulations on recommiting! You are very welcome here. I know what you mean about looking at pictures - for me, it's the more recent ones that make me wince. One of my goals is to like the way I look in photos/videos again. I little about me - I'm 45, married to a great guy (second for both of us) no kids of our own but his daughter has a son, 4.5 who we dote on. We have 3 cats - two 9.5 year olds, a brother and sister (Smokey and Samantha), and a new 4 month old kitten who is wreaking havoc( Max, short for Maximus). I love the picture - what is your kitty's name?

I had a good day yesterday - no exercise of course - I can't wait until I feel better so I can get back to it - maybe I can manage a short yoga session tomorrow. My cold is a bit better - I'm still coughing quite a bit and it hurts some but I am less congested and I think I have avoided the bronchitis bullet. I'm working from home this week which is good because I tire pretty easily. I managed to bank 3 food points yesterday and got all my milks, veggies, water, etc., in. I discovered a new treat that is really helping - I take a 1/2 cup of n.f. plain yogurt and some frozen strawberries - I blend them (I have one of those immersion things that if if I get it right, works well - when I don't get it right is gets all over!) and add a packet of equal. Then I put it in the freezer to get a bit thick and frosty - I want to freeze it like a sorbet but I can never wait that long! Anyway, it's yummy, 1.5 points and it's a milk (since the nf yogurt is 50% calcium for a whole cup). Tonight we are going to try the Celentano Light stuffed shells - someone at my meeting said they were very good and only 5 points for a whole box (2 shells). I think they will make a good dinner with a little salad on the side.

Have a great one!
Judy

Hi all -

Karen - Way to go working off that Mars bar on the treadmill. Sounds like you have a lovely day to yourself planned. I hope you enjoy it. How was the vegetarian chili? I've had my crockpot for forever, but don't use it all that often. I used to be paranoid about leaving it on when noone was home. I've gotten a bit better about that. I do love it though, especially for making spaghetti sauce.

Sabrina - Welcome - we love making new friends. I too hate the way I look in photos and avoid having them taken if I can. A bit about me: I'm 43, married 17 years, and have a daughter who is 4. Right now I'm between jobs and enjoying being home. I'm also a cat lover and have one cat, Luigi, who has been with us 16 years.

Judy - Enjoy your Hannukah celebration, even if it is on Saturday. And enjoy those latkes! Good for you for banking points and getting in all the good things like veggies, etc. Your yogurt treat sounds good. I'm not a big fan of yogurt, but I do like it frozen, so maybe I'll give it a try. I think I've had those Celentano shells and if I remember correctly, they were pretty good. Enjoy!

Dinner was good last night, if I do say so myself. I don't know if I ate something that didn't agree with me, though, or if I'm coming down with something, but my tummy's been on the quesy side today. That should help me stay within points, I guess. I spent some time outside shoveling snow, so I got some exercise in. It felt good to be outside - it's a crisp cold we're having and that always invigorates me. My ankle has been doing much better, especially since I found an Ace brace that works quite well, so I may attempt some walks again.

Have a great day.

Carla

Hi,

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Everyone here and in Alternachicks has been really cool.

JudySP: The kitty in the picture is a photo of my Ocicat, Callie,
when she was just a kitten. She's about a year and a half old
now but is still a very petite 7 pounds.

My fiance' and I are owned by 3 cats: Callie, God, and Simon.


My goal is to get to 159 by Christmas. The holidays are no more
tempting for me than other times of year, so I'm setting my
sights high!

Sabrina
165/???/125-135

P.S.: Mmmmm ... crockpot food. Methinks it is time to make some
Tortilla Chicken Soup, good for the sinuses.

Sabrina - forgot to tell you a bit about me: 41, an RN, married 2 years to a former chef (has its pluses and minuses!), have a 22 year old dtr at university, and have many pets, the newest of which is a 3 1/2 month old golden retriever. Your kitty is too cute! How lucky for you that the holidays don't tempt you too much. I could gain a ton just thinking about a festive spread. It's just way too many nibblies spread out over way too many days. Your goal should be achievable if you follow WW closely and get in some exercise.

Judy - enjoy your Hanukkah celebration. Can't say I've ever had a latke, but I've heard how good they are. Jasper didn't even know he'd had his shot, he was too busy snarfing down treats. His shot didn't slow him down one iota! Your yogurt/strawberry concoction sounds delish! Who's your favorite person for exercise videos/dvds? I've never bought one before, and think I should give them a try.

Carla - snow? I was working out in the garden in a T-shirt this afternoon. Hope your tum is back to normal by now. Hope that Ace brace works for your ankle.

I had another good day today, although it turned out that I spent most of the day doing chores and erands and didn't end up getting very much in the way of down time. One day....

Karen

Merry,

Wow - you're a nurse, eh? I'm soooooo squeamish that I could never do that in a million years. But I really admire those who do!
I've heard that there are really some good opportunities in
nursing these days.

>>> How lucky for you that the holidays don't tempt you too much. I could gain a ton just thinking about a festive spread.

Hee, my biggest temptations are dark, rich malty microbrews,
Thai food, and ice cream--all of which are available all year round! I could take or leave the ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, candies, etc. I *do* like them, but not as much as other goodies.

I'm feeling pretty good about my eating and journaling this week, although I have not exercised at all due to this rotten cold I have. I've been sick since Friday and am still hacking. The last thing I want to do is go suck air on the dreadmill.

Oh well, hopefully Friday's weigh in will still bring good news.

S.
165/???/125-135

Hi all,

Karen - Glad to hear Jasper handed his shot so well. You were in your garden in a T-shirt. Oh man, is that weather usual for your area this time of year? Sorry to year you spent your day off with errands and chores, but at least you have the satisfaction of having those things done, right? My tummy is all better, thanks.

Sabrina - I hear on you on the microbrews. Love em. I'm sorry to hear you have such a rotten cold. I hope you feel better soon.

I did ok yesterday, although we did have frozen pizza for dinner last night. I was up .02 this morning at weigh in. My rings are tight, and I haven't been great with my water, so it's probably a bit of retention. All in all, not a bad result for a post Thanksgiving weigh in. It's cold, cold, cold here, but the sun is shining, so I'm going out for a walk in a bit. I have my brace on and am hopeful that the ankle will hold up. I just can't face going down to the basement to hop on the bike when it's so nice and sunny out.

Have a great day everyone.

Carla
271/266.08/244 - !st 10%

Carla - It sounds like your tummy is better from yesterday? I wouldn't think twice about 0.2 - as a post Thanksgiving weigh in, that's a huge victory and pizza is definitely a water retainer for me (although we tend to have it often on Fridays, the day before I weigh in!) Good for you for getting out for a walk. I haven't been outside since Saturday and I'm starting to get cabin fever. With this cold, I won't be the one shoveling tomorrow although I could use the exercise! How was your walk? I'm glad the brace is helping. The Celentano shells were good, but I do hope Costco has the ravioli next time 'cause I liked them better.

Sabrina - Callie is adorable! I have to get a disk made when I get the picture currently in my camera so I can post a picture of Max. I liked the way you put it - that you and your fiance are "owned" by 3 cats.! I think your Chrristmas goal is very do-able especially if the holidays aren't more of a challenge than other times. Can't say the same thing for me! What would you say your "weak" points are with the program? My weakness is evening snacking - I'm trying to establish a habit of writing in my journal regularly - it's helped when I've done it. The problem is that usually I write in it for a couple of days and then drop it again! Maybe I need to make that a goal for me tonight. You are right to hold off exercising while you have that cold - especially if you are "hacking" - I'm in the same boat as you. I may try to do a very short yoga tape after work - not a strenuous one - just to relax.

Karen - I got a good laugh about Jasper snarfing down his treats! Hmmm, my favorite exercise people for videos aren't really "mainstream" - that is, there are certain there are a ton of people making great videos that are only sold in more specialty venues: websites, or in the Collage catalog. If you are interested in seeing the whole range of what's out there, I'd be happy to send you a (fairly) recent Collage catalog, or you can request a catalog (or see their offerings) at their website, collagevideo.com. If you'd like me to send you a catalog, send me an email ([email protected]) with your address. I like Christi Taylor, G-Force and Cathe Friedrich for aerobics, Cathe Friedrich and some of the FIRM tapes for strength, and Rodney Yee, Patricia Walden and Suzanne Deason for Yoga, although Crunch has a great new yoga tape, Candlelight Yoga, that I'm really enjoying. Of course, some of those selections might not fit your tastes, for example, I generally like complex choreography in my step tapes - not everyone likes that. Alternatively, you can check out videofitness.com - it's a whole site dedicated to the home exerciser. Can you tell I'm really into this or what? ;-) Hey, we're supposed to get snow here on the east coast tomorrow too.

I had a good day yesterday - ate at max but not over. My cold is better than yesterday but I'm still coughing a bit and having had a very busy morning at work, I'm pretty tired right now. As I said to Sabrina, I think I want to try to pick up my journal again and try to get into the habit of writing a little something in the evening. When I did it a week or so ago, it helped with the late night urge to snack. I have a few points in the bank but would like to accumulate a few more before Saturday.

Have a great one!
Judy

Hi Judy,

>>>I liked the way you put it - that you and your fiance are "owned" by 3 cats!

It's so true. They are totally spoiled rotten and get lots and lots of attention. Of course, they give us a tremendous amount of pleasure and affection in return. I saw a quote the other day that said:

"Dogs have owners, cats have staff"

Definitely true in our house! LOL!

>>>What would you say your "weak" points are with the program? My weakness is evening snacking.

I'd say my biggest challenges are mid-afternoon and like you, evenings. I'm usually ravenous by 2 or 3pm and again by 9pm.
Since I'm typically not even hungry in the morning, I just get my
metabolism going with a 2-3 point breakfast.

I know this goes against the "eat a king's breakfast, pauper's dinner" thinking, but I know my body. It doesn't matter if I eat
a huge breakfast or no breakfast, I am still very hungry at dinner
and after dinner. So why blow all my points in the morning and then suffer?

My POINTS range is 20-27, so I try to have no more than
12-15 points consumed by the time I come home from work. That way, I have enough leeway for a decent sized dinner and a
2 point snack at bedtime.

S.

Hi Everyone!

Well, I was so enthralled with not having to get up and go to work (conference instead today - stayed in my nest for an extra 1.5 hours) that I forgot to weigh in this morning. Silly me! Stay tuned, will post my progress tomorrow. I did manage to get on the treadmill for 45 minutes this morning too.

Sabrina - I hear you re the mid afternoon munchies. I get ravenous, and often food obsessed at that time of the day too. I'm usually okay late evening, coz I have to hit the sack early most of the time. We have three cats too, one is quite geriatric, I don't think she'll be with us too much longer. Hope that crappy cold goes away soon - don't send it north, tho!

Judy - wow! Thanks for all the info. I'll have some time tomorrow evening so will check out those websites then. I think I'll have to start with some pretty basic stuff - too much choreography and I'd be flat on my face or my @#$! Hopefully you're able to get out and about soon

Carla - I'd hardly call .2 a gain after Thanksgiving! It'll be gone by next week. The weather has been unusually mild recently. It was grey and drizzly all day here today - definitely needed my jacket on today. Hope you enjoyed your walk. There's nothing like going out into the snow on a glorious sunny day.

Talk to you tomorrow...

Karen