Good morning! 11 Days until Spring arrives!!! I'm hoping our weather becomes a little more bearable in the days to come. This morning it was a frigid 11 degrees and with the wind I'm sure the temps were more in the single digits. I'm hoping to get out for a albeit short walk over the lunch hour.

The weekend flew by as usual. I worked Saturday morning at WW and then we had our staff meeting so I didn't get home until 5 p.m. Yesterday was spent doing laundry, running to the grocery store and puttering around the house.

So how's everyone doing? Are we getting back on track? Any challenges this week?

Also had a busy weekend; went to a party and didn't overdo it. I've lost the weight I had gained (Yippee!)

Hi, all!

Melissa - brrr! Eleven degrees?!! It's never been that cold here as far as I know, in the over-two-decades that I've lived in Texas. Stay warm! Here, it seems sunny outside but I haven't been out to check the temp.

It is Spring Break for the schools here. My children went to their grandparents' for the weekend, so we had a quite weekend at home. DH and I went to see "About Schmidt" - made me cry, but was good.

Domina - good for you on eating reasonably at the party. I have also recently lost some weight I had gained while traveling in late Jan./early Feb. It feels good. Now, for the rest of that weight that I need to lose to get back to goal ...

Baby steps!

To Melissa, Domina and all others - have a great week!

Hi Lifetimers! Mind if I join you? I'm also a LT since Jan 2001. I know that there usually are less of those who are working to keep the lost weight off than there are in the middle of the journey and really feel we have to stick together!

How does your thread work here?

Hi, all

Ren - welcome! I am a Lifer with a few lbs to lose to get back to goal. We have some like me, and some that are maintaining their goal weight, on this thread. Sad to say, I'm not a "regular" around here, but it always nice to pop in when I need some encouragement. The regulars on this thread are **awesome**!

Again, WELCOME!!

Welcome Ren! We usually discuss our upcoming challenges, frustrations, recipes, tips, and whatever else. Lately we've been talking about our frustration of the weather and feeling un-motivated. We cover a wide range of things. There's also a challenge that we try to keep up with a weekly topic and and a check in as far as how our weigh-ins are going, points, etc.

Austingal: The weather is warming up! I know, though, that we'll still have some more cold, blustery days but I'll take the nice weather when it's here. Today we're supposed to get up into the high 30's and the rest of the week is looking real good with highs hitting up into the 50's and one weather man said we could flirt with 60's...

I'm feeling a lot better and have been keeping up with my walking. Last night I finally made it back to my yoga class and have to admit I felt so good afterwards. I know it did its job because I fell asleep last evening at 9:30 p.m. Gotta love the relaxation at the end!

Hi to Domina, Seasaw, Lala, and anyone else I've forgotten.

hey all,

i'm back from the big easy, er greasy. Suffice it to say, I am not pleased with myself. I ate like a pig and I feel like one too.

Anyways, glad to be back for another eight days and then off again for another six, unless my aircraft gets taken away for troop deployments or we are truly at war.

I'm trying hard to get back on track. I have never felt so enormous in three years. My pants are tight and I feel tired and icky. I could stand a month without any travel, social obligations and a personal trainer.

Other than that, the weather here is okay, spring has sprung all over. DP went out last night and killed many slugs and cut worms (euuw). I am enjoying looking at all my early narcissus blooming.

Don't worry all you east coasters -- they will be there soon enough.

gotta go write a proposal!

hi to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lala

Hi everyone! Sounds like everyone is busy, as usual!
Melissa- Are you going to start the challenge post for the week? I would, but I had to miss the meeting this week, and don't have a topic in mind right now...
Domina- Way to go on the party situation!
Austingal- How far to go until you are back at goal? How is it going?
Rockette- Welcome! I am also a LM working to get back to goal after the birth of my ! Good luck!
Lala- I can't imagine how hard it must be to try to eat healthy travelling so often! Do you find it hard to get back OP after your trips?

I had a pretty good WI tonight, lost 1.8# despite my 95 pt Saturday fiasco! Next week I get trained to work the meetings, that is a good motivator! Also, I have 7.5 weeks until I have to wear a shoulder/arm baring dress in a wedding- no one else will care how I look, but I want to look good for ME! So I plan to give 100% to the program for the nrxt few weeks!

Have a good evening!

Good morning, all!

Although the forecast is for clouds and maybe some rain, at least it is fairly warm outside. Like lala, I see spring blooming all over my front yard.

Tara - I am quite a bit from my goal weight right now. I am approaching 40 yrs old, my goal weight was set in my mid-20's. Not sure I'll be able to maintain goal once I reach it, but I am quite a bit away, so I'll cross that bridge when I get there! Right now, I am over 20 lbs from goal, which was set 13 years and two children ago!

lala - welcome back from your trip. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to stay OP while traveling as much as you do.

We received some bad news yesterday - a death in my husband's family and the funeral is tomorrow. It put us into a sad mood, but also into a frenzy of activity, trying to figure out travel arrangements for the funeral. I made a not-very-OP comfort food dinner for us all, and went way over on points.

I will take the hit and move on, and plan to stay OP today, no matter what!

Have a good day, all!

- AustinGal

AustinGal- Why don't ou change your goal weight to be more realistic for you? I am sorry to hear of your loss. Best luck staying OP today!

Lala: Welcome back! You'll get rid of that unwanted weight. Try and picture how good you'll feel when your pants are loose

Tara: Congrats on your weight loss! I, too, had a good weigh in today...I was down 2.4#! Amazing what happens when you measure your portions

Austingal: Sorry to hear that you had a death in your DH's family. Like you said, you can take the hit and move on from there and today is a fresh day. We're getting a little tease with the weather--it's 46 outside and the weather forecasters are calling for warmer temps the next several days...I'm just hoping we're out of the teens for a while! You might want to consider re-setting your goal weight to one that you feel more comfortable with and that you feel you'd be able to maintain.

I'm going to continue focusing on my portions this week and work on getting in more walking.

Happy Hump Day!

Hi everybody, and a special welcome to Ren.

I'm sorry I don't have time to stay and chat. Having a pretty rough week. A very good friend collapsed and died at work on Monday. His friends are the only "family" he has in this part of the country, so the past few days have been very busy with trying to contact people and make arrangements.

He would have been 58 today. He was one of the leanest, fittest people I've ever known, and it's hard to reconcile the way he lived with such a premature ending. He had just come back from a run when he died. We are numb.

Things should be better next week, but they won't be "normal" for a long, long time.

Thought for the day: live every moment to the fullest, and be sure that the people you love know it.

Susan

Deepest sympathies Seasaw on the loss of your friend. We had a co-worker here that died suddenly a couple of years ago. He was physically fit and did a lot of bike riding--stopped by his son's on his way home from a ride and died of a massive heart attack in his son's arms. He was only 49. It was rough since his kids were the same age as mine. Life doesn't seem fair at times does it?

oh my gosh.

Austin and Susan, I'm very sorry to hear of your losses. Please take care of yourselves.

Ren- welcome. I'm the deviant child here.

Hiya Domina! WTG on the loss.

Saskie--As for travel and weight loss, forget it. I am doing cruddy and deserve it. What happened?????? I'm thinking of taking the rest of the year off from travel, however, life just isn't like that.

Other than that, nothing new to report. I posted my menu and gave a little rant about videoconferencing. Yikes. I may have picked a really bad top, but I look like the gweneth on shallow hal. I was not amused.

Madly trying to get a proposal out this afternoon. I just can't think!

More later ladies!

lala

It's snowing here again Is Spring ever going to get here???

In any case, I did force myself to go outside at noon and take a 15-minute walk. The sidewalks were slushy and it made walking a little slower but at least I got out for a little bit.

Weekend is looking up and hopefully the forecasters are right. Next weekend I'll be in the Windy City for a meeting. Hello Chicago deep dish pizza....anyone know how many points? I don't normally get it while I'm there but may just have to indulge this trip.

Anyone have any plans for St. Patty's Day? Here the bars go nuts--they start serving green beer and green eggs & ham (bleh!) beginning at 7 a.m. The campus is right in the heart of where the big Irish bars are so I'm sure the students will be doing their share of partying. I don't see what the glamour is in drinking green beer.

Not much else going on...getting ready to get our orientation mailing out and finalizing our American Cancer Society Daffodil Days orders for next week.