Good morning! I figured I'd better get in here or Ellis would give me heck. I hope anybody who comes in early feels free to start the Daily.

It's pitch black here with not even a tinge of green in the South East to tell me daylight is on the way! However, it's supposed to be an above freezing day and Hersh and I will walk.

Right now I need coffee and some scrambled eggs and mushrooms. Ive been having protein shakes for breakfast but they seem to be giving me some nausea. No smartie comments, Ellis!

Back later and TGIF!

TGIF for sure! It has been a hectic week. I have been op for days now, I know something must be wrong with me
I will try to get back later, so for now, enjoy your day beauties!

Oh, I'm so sleepy. Ruth, have you gone back to bed? How can the temperature possibly rise 13 degrees today? Where's the sun? Hey, it's supposed to go up to +8 on Tuesday. Maybe we'll see a patch of ground somewhere.
There's a lovely black and white cat looking in my kitchen window. I don't know how they (cats) survive the winter.

Sflake, you're OP?!?! That's bizarre. Have you any tips?

I can't find the yawn smilie, but believe me, I'm yawning bigtime. I've got the day to myself... I may hold off on the coffee for now and crawl back into bed after everyone has left for the day...

Hi Ladies and Good Morning!

I could not imagine living where it is so cold. Makes me cold thinks about it! I live in Louisiana where the weather is horrible all year round...... Just Joking. It is about 50 right now and will hopefully be a pretty day.

Just trying to get the day started.

Do any of you drink green tea? I was going to make some but what sweetner should I use? I keep hearing about Splenda. Is it the best?

SFlake,
Congrats for staying on plan

I have stayed on plan since Monday but this is my first week. I know it will probably get harder. But this has been the easiest plan I have ever been on. I have lost 4 lbs so far and am very excited. Bout time I lose some of this baby fat!

Take care and have a great ON PLAN day,
Penny

morning all!!!
were supposed to have a nice weekend here in ohio, they're talking about 50's on sat and sun. hopefully this is true and i can get out i the yard for a while and size up the yard for spring renovations. so glad it is friday already this has been a heck of a week at work and i need a break!! i'm hanging in there still op 38 days left in lent (fingers crossed) i did not jump into phase 2 yet i did have a piece of fruit a couple of times this week but i am still happy with mostly phase 1 foods. hope everyone has a great op weekend!!!

Hey Chickies! Mornin Ruth the only way I would be up at 4:30 is if I have not gone to bed! haha I am not a morning person. Just ask my family! When my husband and I first got married he thought he could make me a morning person! NOT!!!! He does not try now.

Mompen I think it is easy as well and I am about 5 weeks in. I love this woe. I thank God almost daily for leading me to this WOE. I need to make sure I do thank Him daily!

Sflake good to see you checkin in and stayin OP with all that's on your plate.

Ellis I am with you on crawlin back inot bed. But I guess I will stay up today.

To all who have not checked in yet I'm prayin us all an OP day!

TGIF!!!!!
I'm so glad it is finally friday. It's been one of those weeks.
Do any of you watch extreme makeover? I'm addicted to that show. It's amazing what a difference they make! I can't beleive those folks lost 35+ pounds in 13 weeks. I'd be happy with half that much! All together the 3 of them lost a person

Sflake - Congrads on staying OP!!!! You go Girl!!

Mompen - Splenda is great. I like it. It's not a chemical it's made from sugar; diabetic friendly. no after taste.

Well gotta get busy I'll try to check in tonight! everyone have a great day!!!

I am so happy it is Friday! I have school this morning but this class isn't bad. This weekend I get to do a little shopping for my vacation coming up. Any tips with how to stay OP while on Vacation???? I am hoping that I can at least stay really close to OP! My kids aren't even up yet, that is so wierd for them. Bought a new digital camera yesterday and can't wait to use it! Everyone have a great morning....it cooled off here...it is only going to be around 65 today!

Nascar Girl I love that show as well! It is very motivatin. I saw an infomercial with him and his plan. 120 bucks! It makes me want to call curves and sign up!

Hi guys,

I think the best thing about this being Friday is it means that this dreadful month is almost over!!! YEAH!

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts. I feel better today, and am just going to stop the negative thinking. Which also means that once I get past the family festivities this weekend, I am going to do another 2 weeks of P1, I think. Yesterday I went off the track a bit (just mcdonalds AND half a large pizza AND a twix bar) but until Monday I am going to stay on P2 as much as possible.

I hear ya, Ellis, it's supposed to be LOVELY today! I am so excited!!!! I am so tired of the cold weather, I am ready for warmth. AND to see all this icky snow melt away. It's been a tiring winter!

BUT, no more moping for me, girls! I am back on track!!! GOOD JOB S'FLAKE for staying OP! YEAHHHH!!!!!

Have a good day everyone!!!

--dynagrrl
"There's the wind and the rain
And the mercy of the fallen
Who say they have no claim to know what's right
There's the weak and the strong
And the beds that have no answer
And that's where I may rest my head tonight."
--Dar Williams

Morning all!! So busy.. just wanted to check in. I'm OP! YEAH FOR ME!! I had about two morsels of nasty popcorn last night and decided it just wasn't worth it. This weekend holds way too many things... WHY? WHY do I need to start a business? I'm busy enough without one... OY! At least I've done it before, so some of the ground work is laid out. Speaking of ground, it's going to be in the 60's here this weekend and I have to get out in the yard to size things up. Ya know, because I'll have time to leisurely stroll through my yard... AT LEAST I'LL BE OP!! Hope everyone is fabulous and has a great, OP day!!

Morning ladies! (I feel like I should say afternoon to Ruth - good Lord woman, you've been up for hours! )

I have been wanting to check in more frequently, but this week has been a mess. The bad news is, I am driving home to my parents' home this weekend to help them deal with some family stuff. Home in the northeast means pizza and cheesesteaks! However, I weighed myself this morning, and I finally saw 199!!! I think that will be enough motivation to keep me from going too far off this weekend. (Yes CrystalCaity, I'm in ONEderland! It does sound cheesy, but I'll take it!)

I also want to take this time to (belatedly) congratulate Ellis for remembering so much about all of us and being so friendly.

CrystalCaity, you're starting a business to make money and take over the world! Congrats for being OP! And you too, dynagrrl, staying OP is so hard when things are stressful. (And seriously, can I have the other half of that pizza?) Also hi to clovey, I haven't seen you around but I hope that things are getting better for you.

Hi to Bamiegurl, twrinkles, Nascar girl, jodi, mompen and sflake, too! And if I missed anyone, please know that I'm doing the dancing banana dance in my little office, because it's FRIDAY!!!!

Hello, hello, hello! I love Fridays! Surprisingly I feel pretty good seeing as I got very little sleep last night. My friend who lives in Arizona called me at 2:00a.m. EST and we talked for 2 hours! Why I answered the phone, I'll never know. The worst part is that I usually get up at 4:45 to go the gym. Needless to say, that didn't happen. It's ok. It's going to be a great weekend here in New England so I'll get out and do some outdoor excercising this weekend. I'm just hoping I don't crash around 2:00 this afternoon.

I'm happy to hear that everyone seems to be doing well today. Except for you ladies in Canada who have to endure the cold temps. Yikes!

CrystalCaity...you must be a glutten for punishment! Just kidding. Congratulations on your endeavor. What is your business, if you don't mind me asking?

Hi everyone!

Well this is what happened. you know I said I only weigh once a month because I get upset if the scales show fluctuations? Well, my kind and helpful friend bought and left some scales at my house. And guess what I weighed seven pounds heavier on them than at the gym where I had been weighing (well seven pounds heavier in the bedroom and kitchen, but about the same or even a bit lighter in the study and on the landing where there is carpet... ). So I got depressed. Because i thought it was all hopeless. But also I had my period and was retaining water etc etc (plus last week went out to dinner and had something quite salty adding to that). But I have been a bit crestfallen.

Great expression, crest fallen.

Anyway, I am still here, and still with the programme. And really, I do know damn well that I cant weigh often and still be happy to lose slowly. the thing is if you only weigh once a month, and you have only lost two pounds in the month, you are two pounds lighter than the last time you got on the scales and it is incredibly exciting. but if you weigh weekly and you have only lost half a pound, it can either barely notice at all, or just seem not enough for all that hard work and denial and struggle etc etc what is the point. So I do the monthly weighing thing. At least I have had another wake up call about just doing it the way that works for me...!


Ruth is that tinge of green the northern lights? do you get them where you are? I saw them in Sweden this year. amazing!

sflake, OP!! That is cool. Good for you. Ignore Ellis, it is not bizarre at all. She is just jealous....

Ellis, staying in bed is a good way to stay OP in my opinion. Enjoy. I have a black and white cat, but she survives by staying inside the whole time...

mompen, I have tried green tea with jasmine in and I rather liked that. I dont like it alone. Lots of people here drink Celestial Seasonings madagascar vanilla red, but we cant get that in the uk.. so I have a dragon fly blend which is the same thing I imagine, ie rooibosh (redbush) tea with vanilla. yummy it is too. Green tea tastes disgusting. you may as well brew up the clippings from your garden prunings I reckon.

Jodi, have fun in the garden. I love gardening. Spring soon.

Bamiegirl, yes I can relate to the not a morning person thing. I have to have a very strict routine in the morning (get up, loo, kettle on, open dishwasher, cat bowls out cups out etc etc etc) otherwise I end up completely confused and putting the cat breakfast in to the fridge or something......

Nascar girl, we dont have that programme here, but we do have something called celebrity fit club where they make 'celebs' (who are these people?) do exercise for weeks and then humiliate them every friday night by weighing them in front of a studio audience. Not my scene. But then I have those awful memories of being weighed at school and my weight plotted on the class graph and of course being the heaviest, heavier than the boys etc. That was hard.....they were a sadistic bunch, those teachers....

twrinkles...op on vacation? hmm. have a good breakfast of proteins, and trust yourself that you can do it! You can! good luck

Hey dynrgrrl! You are hanging in there especially well i would say. February is almost over, hurrah! I like the poem. I have been reading TS Eliot this week. I went through an anti elliot phase as I decided that he was nastily antisemitic. Well, I still think he is nastily anti semitic, but also he wrote some amazing mystical poetry. I am also going to be watching the Ring Cycle this year, after a lifetime of eschewing Wagner for the same reason. Any way, here is a link to Little Gidding


Caity, it is really exciting and creative of you to be starting a business!! Cant wait to hear how it goes.

Overfedup Onederland!!! Well done!! I cant wait to hit that. Well done!! I feel inspired!

Shelly, 4.45?? Oh.

Blimey.

You are another inspiring woman.....!!!

Nice to catch up with everyone. xxxx. You fabby bunch of beach babes...!

Good morning all!

overfed up - that is amazing. Today you are my hero! Great progress.

It's supposed to be nice in Chicago over the weekend too. We go pick up our new beach cruiser bicycles. I know we're dorks for buying these crazy things, but I think it will be fun to ride along the lake with them.

Kitchen floor is out - hardwood is in. Unfortunately - they put all the tile that they removed in one very very large/heavy trash can. At 11pm my husband tried to move it and it fell over sounding like a crate of china had been dropped. Our neighbors are going to kill us.

Horray for everyone OP, we've been staying in a hotel and eating out - so it has been a little more difficult. But I dropped another pound and need to remember how good it feels to see the scale go down compared to tasting something for a second.