WELCOME !!!

We want to invite everyone to join us in our journey.
We share laughter and tears.
We share what works for us and what doesn't.
We recently started a Topic of the Day.

Monday........Motivation Monday
Tuesday.......Tuesday Tips
Wednesday.....Wednesday Weigh ins
Thursday......Thankful Thursday
Friday........Friday Facials, Fingernails and Fun
Saturday.......Sit-up Saturdays - any physical activity
Sunday.........Soup and Salad Sunday - recipes

These are not required topics ...just ideas to share. We have found them very helpful. We also share heartaches and fears...joys and celebrations.

WELCOME!

A quick hello to you ladies - I have been busy in the book study and don't have much time left so this is a quickie post.

I had a good weighin Monday - I lost 1.5 lbs this past week. I have been keeping my food journal and yesterday I got in a 20 min walk.

I've got to go; I'll try to get back in here Friday. See ya.

Grrrrrrrrrr............my father-in-law just called and said that his girlfriend has decided not to come out here to visit with him because she doesn't like to travel. So, instead of getting here on Friday he is coming tomorrow night. And, now he is staying with us. So, you know that "crap containment" of Terri's? Well, there is goint to be a lot of that going on around here tonight!

He's family, I love him, I'm looking forward to seeing him, just a little frustrated with the last minute change and I have so much to do for our trip. Not to mention Jeff is still in NYC and I'll be on my own with his dad tomorrow.

Oh well, not gonna stress about anything!

Ugh...I wouldn't want to be alone with MY father in law! Not because he's gross or anything, just because I'd run out of things to talk about real fast plus the fact that I wouldn't be able to get stuff done...like prepare for a trip. Although, if he's like most men, they only want to chat for so long, and then are perfectly comfortable with mutual silence. It's usually us girls that feel the need to fill in conversational gaps with chit chat. Just tell him you've got lots to do, I'm sure he'll understand. At least I hope so, for your sake!

On my way to work this morning – NO PORN, but I was listening to an affirmation tape when I had a light bulb moment. My body is NOT my enemy!!!! I think I have thought of it that way for some years now.

I should cherish and nourish my body instead of berating it for not looking and functioning the way I would like it too.

I had written a two-page saga of my weight gain story but deleted it. It sounded so whiny and pathetic I just couldn’t post it.

The snapshot version is about 11 years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It sent me into a tailspin of denial and depression, which brought on the eating and separating my body from my mind/spirit.

In one way I felt I had to disassociate with my body in order to go on. If I thought of “myself” as my body I don’t think I could have gone on. All my body was (is) is pain and fatigue. I stayed in my head. I told myself I was still the same person I was before.

Well, Chicks, it took me awhile but I have seen the errors of my ways. It seems so stupid now to think I tried to just ignore my body and that I didn’t think there would be any repercussions. Ignorance is bliss?

I'm so glad for you all. At 56 I'm the heaviest ever, but have given up the self incriminations (mostly), and the question of "why"? Didn't help in the past, and I doubt very much if it would make any difference now. I've decided to do something different this time around. I am making one change a week. Maybe that doesn't seem like much, but when you are overeating compulsively even small changes are victories.
Am looking forward to spending more time here. Hope to get to know some of you, and share some things about myself, also. Sunnysideup.

Look it, Kat Fish, I have been working my butt off around the house. You'd think by the amount of stuff that I'm doing that I am a slob. Now, work for the evening is done and dinner is over and time for a post. So there.

Okay, well now I'm freaking out. I told you all that DH's second son is coming into town this weekend. I just talked to number one son and found out that he's driven to Ohio to pick up his mother and grandmother so that they can come here to see the kids as well. So now we're sharing the weekend with DH's first wife and MIL. He's not real excited about it either. I was hoping that we could have the two sons here for Saturday night dinner with the grandkids as it would be the first time he had his two sons together in about 18 years. Going to be a weird weekend!

Man on man, did we have a big storm come through this morning. I've been awake pretty much since about 3:30 because it was a noisy one. I even got up to unplug both computers. It rained for about three hours and there has been lots of basement flooding in the area. Not us, thank goodness. It was raining so hard even the dog wouldn't go out and pee when he had to really badly.

Tonight I hauled all the goodwill stuff from the living room to the downstairs rec room. And then I did some cleaning in that room.

Over on the book thread, we've been talking about being held back by low self-esteem and perfectionism. I have a touch of perfectionism and it can be stifling. I find myself fretting over how to do projects because I can't decide on what I want. Because I want it perfect. It is also a huge cause of procrastination. Here is a stupid example. Almost three years ago, I asked my neice how I could decorate the bottom basket of a two basket stand that I have had for a long time. She told me to get some greenery. I bought three ivy sprays and the green foam things. I even put the foam things in the basket but couldn't bring myself to put the greenery in because I was convinced that I wouldn't know how to do it right. I've been shuffling those stupid pieces of ivy around for all that time. I picked them up last night and within 4 minutes had it done and love it. That I had put it off all that time because of my internal dialogue had convinced me that I didn't know how. What a dork.

I'm watching American Idol now. At least tonight the right person went. I was going to boycott if she didn't go tonight. Like that would matter.

Lucky - Right on! Good insight!

Sunny - Welcome to the group! Looks like you've got a good strategy.

Okay ladies, I'm outta here. I think I'm going to take the dog for a walk. I'll have to see how he does since its so humid but at least he'll be happy with something. After that, I'm going to bed and read some on Dr. Phil.

Howdy! Just stopping in to say nitey nite. Been a long day. Work, paperwork, work, paperwork. I know you all are tired of hearing that story.

Mom and I went to a card party tonight. It was nice. A little hectic because they had a "paddle auction" (have you guys ever seen those?) right in the middle of playing cards. YIKES! Couldn't concentrate for a minute on the playing. Mom made out like a bandit. Won the table prize, a door prize AND the piece she wanted in the paddle auction! She had fun. Actually, so did I. It got her out of the house in the evening which she never is. She's still driving at 83 (in July) but I don't want her and she doesn't want to be on the road after dark. I follow her periodically without her knowing, just to make sure she's still doing ok. Shhhhh, don't tell her.

I'm off all day tomorrow to "doris-sit". I'll have to see if my girlfriend has been able to get her pots planted for her deck. If not, maybe Doris and I will run to K-Mart and pick some up and get them planted for her for a surprise.

The "Baby's" birthday is Friday. He's taking the day off work so that he can go up to the fraternity house tomorrow night. He and his roommate (well, former roommate) are going to meet us at a steakhouse on Friday for dinner. Been meeting there for his b'day for the past 5 years while he's been in college because it's halfway between there and home.

I hope to get some extra time next week to get some Dr. Phil reading in. You girls are going so fast, and I haven't even had much of a chance to read what you're writing over there on the Book Threads. But I'll get there, I promise.

As I said before, I'm *this* close to getting started again. Monday is still my target. I feel just like I did 6 years ago just before I first started going to WW and was serious. I'm eatting everything in sight thinking that that will be a nono come next week. Probably not the best thinking, but that's how I'm looking at it.

I didn't get on that new scale of mine yet. Figure why blow my mind before Monday. It would just tick me off that I've done so badly anyway. Hopefully, at least this time, I haven't regained everything + 50. That would be good, AND I don't think that's the case either. I'll bet I'm up 20 since Christmas though. That way anything less than 20 and I'll feel better. Boy, the rationale I use sometimes just baffles me.

Well, this has gotten stupid. So if you've stuck around through this whole post without "hanging up" on me, thanks.

Sunny: Welcome to our little corner of the world. Please forgive me. I'm not usually this goofy. Hope you'll stop in often.

Ok, my dears, I've gotta get out of here. Love ya bunches. See ya later.

Hello girls I'm back. Thin: yes as far as I know we are still coming to Mich in August.

Things have been so hectic lately our childrens person quit. ( I know we can't keep one ) But hopefully we have one hired. Our shelver had surgery yesterday and will be out 6 weeks. I have been rearranging videos for weeks. We have to put them in dewey decimal order before inventory in July.

Food has been bad I am up 8 lbs. I just want to eat what I want. I have got to get contraol of myself.

Son is still not working and to top it off He traded his paid for car for another he has to make payments on.

Has any of you seen Troy. We saw it Sat It is good Brad Pitt looked good in a skirt

To all the newcomers that have joined in my absence welcome. This is a great group.

well I better run . I have to get a bath and get ready to go move dvideos again today.

I'm not the best camera man in the country, and I don't have much time, but my Grandson Nathan is the tall one in the middle with the Orange&tan shirt.

THE CUTEST ONE THERE!!!

WELCOME BACK

Mary, we missed you!

One of my uncles died so I have to go to his funeral tomorrow. The big thing is getting my Dad there. I need help with him and my brother doesn't think they will let him off work. Hopefully something works out. Always something.

I was furious with myself - I was fretting over getting my Dad to the funeral and the responsiblity of ALWAYS being the one that has to do everything made a donut pop into my mouth this morning. I have been doing so good but stress blind sided me. I came into work and 6AM and stopped for gas on the way - that's where the donuts live, the gas station. I have NEVER bought one before - that sure tells me something. Okay, trying to suck it up and chock it up to a learning experience.

I just took a MAJOR babystep...and I just had to share.

Dr Phil talks about habits, and the need to replace bad habits with good ones. I have SO many mindless behaviors,(key word for me: MINDLESS, ie: without thought) with regard to eating...

I really thought hard about my mindless behaviors. Here's what I came up with:

Generally, I buy and eat 'good' foods. Lots of produce, no processed foods, skim milk. I cook low fat when I can, I try to limit 'bad' carbs. I know what I'm doing, nutritionally. BUT...I am the world's worst nibbler. I will nibble as I cook, tasting everything, several times...as I fix my lunch; a few extra pieces of cheese or turkey for me... as I clean up; (and I DO mean clean up!) Nobody's plate needs to be scraped when I'm clearing the table! I remember being amazed, as a child, at my friends, who left half their meal on the plates, declaring, "I'm FULL." I totally could not relate! That is still hard for me. Of course, not to totally blame my parents, but we were NOT allowed to leave the table til our plates were clean. "Put that dinner in your belly, or put your belly into bed!" I swear! No food was going to waste in our house! Surprisingly, I was the only one overweight. Lucky me. Wellll, my sister was a little chubby too, but not like me.

Another mindless behavior: When I am eating, I am also either, reading, watching TV, on the computer...always doing something WHILE I'm eating. This dates way back too...I always had a book going while I ate. Despite the akwardness of holding the book and turning pages while simultaneously stuffing my face! If the food ran out before the chapter did, it was time for more food!

Here's another: I'm a sneaky eater. Also dates back to childhood. With five hungry kids in our house, "goodies" were at a premium. Cookies didn't last long. Sweet treats were NOT really plentiful, but when they were there, no one was worrying about shelf life! I remember sneaking cookies or Devil Dogs into my room to eat as I read. I can still see the chocolate fingerprints on the pages of Little Women or any given Nancy Drew book. Even now, I wait til everyone is either, not home, or in another part of the house....usually not home...and I'll start foraging for something to nibble on as I sit at the computer or read the paper. A little incongruous, don't you think, I'm reading about weight loss as I feed my face!

I will aslo eat when I'm tired, bored, procrastinating, worried, angry, sad, happy, scared...just to have something to do. Yes, I'd say that I'm an emotional eater.

ANYWAY... (I really am going somewhere with this!) Today I decided that I am going to work on ONE new habit today...just one. But it's a biggie for me. I have decded that I will NO LONGER do anything but EAT while I am eating. No distractions. I will concentrate upon what I am eating, enjoying the taste, the smell, the texture, the color, EVERYTHING about my meal! I will give it my undivided attention, and I will take my time enjoying each mouthful. I will put the food down after each bite and chew slowly and thoughtfully.

What a difference!! I made a sandwich for lunch today. That seemed kind of skimpy, so I added a handful of baby carrots, some grapes and a glass of milk. I sat at my kitchen table, and s l o w l y enjoyed my lunch. It took me 15 minutes to eat. A funny thing happened during that time. About halfway through the meal, I realized that I was full! Hmmmm...here's where the old habits die hard. I thought, "well, I'm full, time to stop." But the little fat girl inside of me did NOT want to be booted out of the "clean plate club!" I resisted. <<One of the diet tips I've heard a million times over the years is to leave some food on your plate. Something, anything. Just give yourself permission to do that and get into the habit that it is OK to do so.>> Like I said, this is hard for me. But I did it. I didn't leave a lot either, but I did it and it felt good to be in control.

Self awareness...that's what I'm talkin' about!!

kat - OH MY GOSH what you wrote could've been me! I eat the EXACT SAME WAY! I'll bet we're not alone either . My parents didn't make us clean our plates, but none the less, I can't stand to leave food on my plate. I'm still working on that one since starting.

I can remember - vividly - being 12 years old. That summer, I spent almost the whole summer in my room just reading . . . and eating. I'll bet I gained a huge amount of weight. I would sneak the goodies (they were at a premium in our house too ) before my siblings could get a hold of them and would lay in bed and read and eat and read and eat . . . you get the picture.

For the last few weeks I have really tried to concentrate on what I'm eating and stopping when I'm full. I do have a hard time leaving that food - I feel like I'm wasting it if I don't eat it (those poor starving kids ya know!). Stupid thing is, what's the difference if I eat it or throw it away? Can't usually reuse it either way.

I still have my treat in the afternoon while all the kids are napping (a trim creations fudgesicle from Schwans - yum!) - and I watch Little House on The Prairie reruns . Today, however, I have foregone my ritual to spend time with you fine ladies and to put my two cents worth in on this site!


Sunny - Welcome! Sounds like you're doing what will work for you and that's a good thing. One step at a time . . . .

Lucky - isn't it crazy how those things can just jump up and MAKE us eat them?! I can totally relate! We have Krispy Kreme doughnuts in town, good thing they're trucked in and not very fresh, or I'd probably be in trouble!

Gotta run - sorry for not catching everyone on a reply - have a wonderful Thursday!

Oh Kat... thank you for your post. {{{HUGS}}} That was sooooo good !!!!
I LOVE reading those deep thought provoking posts.
Can't stay and reply but had to say thank you.

We had the rehersal and rehearsal dinner tonight. It went pretty well.
The minister was a little pushy considering it is OUR wedding... but he doesn't know he is dealing with a MAD (as in crazy) Mother of the Bride. I WILL get the wedding my daughter wants.

Okay... gotta go. I have not gotten to bed before 3:30 am in 4-5 days... and then phone calls at 8am. Grrrrr
I hope to make it tonight by midnight.
Things are wrapping up. It will soon be over.