Morning ladies. How was your weekend?

We had a great dinner out on Friday nite. We went to a new place, which turned out to be an old place made over. DH was having great flashbacks to his disco days.

I weighed in on Saturday. I'm 10 lbs over goal. How did this happen? I'm in shock, but I'm happy that I bit the bullet. This week will be spent trying to recover some of the good habits that I seem to have lost over the past six months.

Started a weight routine last week and it's going well. I need to make a few adjustments to make up for equipment gaps but I'm getting a fairly decent full body workout and incorporating my stability ball into the mix as well. I didn't run after all yesterday - slept in and missed the 8:30 start. Then I just got lazy. I'm going out after work today.

Susan, I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner. I'm also glad you went for WI. Sometimes that can just shock you into action.

I have not been motivated to be OP at all. I've eaten ice cream several nights this past week; I've been snacking again. I'm just not eating the way I should. This weight is not going to budge till I get serious.

Hi Ladies,

Hope you all had a nice weekend, I sure did the weather was just beautiful. I did a lot of yard work and got in a little walking. I also thought I did pretty well eating but when I weighed myself this morning I was up 3 pounds!!?? Sometimes I just don't get it, its not TOM, I didn't eat a lot of junk, ate less than 30 points each day and did a bit of exercise and still a gain. I'm going to look back at some of my food journals tonight and try and figure out what I am doing wrong.

Melissa I hope things lighten up at work. I'm going on vacation at the end of July also and I sure am looking forward to it!! You'll have to let me know if you enjoyed the football hall of fame. DH would love to go!!

Susan what type of restaurant did you go to? I can relate to the shock you experienced with the scale, I felt a little of that this morning. You're exercise program sounds interesting I would like to start doing more with weights also.

Domina weren't you in a golf tournament this weekend? How did you do??

I hope Lala is enjoying herself in Germany. Will talk to you soon.

Pam, my team shot 4 under par. Of course, the guys were great long ball hitters. The team did use a few of my drives and I sunk a birdie putt. The course was beautiful. There was a pro there who could drive a ball while on his knees--amazing.

I have times like you had, too. I eat right and exercise and then I gain. Now, lately, I haven't been doing anything OP and I'm gaining, so I know what it is. I'm just not motivated. I walk and use my Total Gym every day, but my eating habits have gone to pot.

Hi, Melissa and Susan. Ditto re: lala.

Good morning!

Susan: Good for you for getting to a meeting!! You'll get those good habits back in no time.

Domina: I hear your concerns--I had ice cream twice on Saturday (not typical for me) and have not been eating as well as I should! Sounds like you had fun on your golf outing.

Pam: I'm looking forward to the time off at the end of July--it's a relief after the high intensity of the summer programs. We're not planning on doing a whole lot--the Hall of Fame should be interesting.

The weekend went pretty well for the most part. I got a lot done around the house (weeding, planting, dusting, vacuuming, laundry, etc.) and felt really good about that. Just need to tackle that spare room! DH and I went out for dinner on Saturday evening to a Mexican restaurant--very good food and came out feeling uncomfortable even though I didn't eat all that much. I think the feeling was due in part to the glass of water and the beer. On a good note I did get a lot of activity in. Sunday I met my friend and we walked the peninsula again (5.2 miles) and it felt so good! I got a short walk in yesterday and today isn't looking too promising as it's raining. I'm hoping the forecasters are right in their prediction that this is supposed to clear out later on.

My eating goes really well all day long and the evenings I'm having a hard time--chips, crackers, etc. I need to regroup and get this under control. I swear TOM was just here but he's due again next week! Arrrgh!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Lala: Hi! Hope you're enjoying Germany

Hi everyone. Just back from the doctor; she agreed that a 30 day + period is not normal and gave me some birth control pills to take over the next five days. If that doesn't normalize things, she'll probe for reasons other than menopause. So I feel better about that.

I sure hope your prediction is right about finding my old eating habits Melissa. It did feel good to face the music in a way. I've resolved to attend meetings weekly until the extra is gone. I'm impressed by your weekend walk.

Pam: The restaurant - gee, don't know how to describe the food. Nouveau cuisine might do it. Lots of combinations I've never heard of before, but it worked. Yep, I'm having fun with the weights and the ball. I pulled together a program from sites on the internet, and I'm adjusting it as I go to drop the exercises I don't like and replace them with ones I do. Too bad about that gain - you didn't deserve it. The good news is it will probably disappear as fast as it came. Do you plan to travel on your vacation?

Domina: Congrats on an excellent score. Sounds like you did your part for the team. How in heck do you drive while on your knees?

Went out for a beautiful 5 km run before work this morning. It's such a great time of day for exercise - quiet, and you're not worn out from a full day's work.

Hi everyone,

Quick check in, I'll be back after lunch.

I'm back and tired, very tired. However, glad I went and it was a great wedding. Mostly German with a few Iranian things tucked in. The bride was beautiful and the groom handsome.

I am glad to be back and on track again. Travel == weight gain for me.

lala

Melissa, yep the snacks are killing me. I know what you're saying: why do you have them in the house? Good question.

lala, welcome back.

Susan, I'm glad you went to the doctor. The pills should get that under control. You might need a D&C. I had one in my 30's and it wasn't too bad. I agree with you that exercising early in the morning is great. I don't have any excuses at that time of the day. That's when I walk each day. I found that when I did it after work that I made up all sorts of excuses, e.g. I'm tired, I need to cook dinner, etc.

Hi Ladies,

I found myself with a few spare minutes at the end of the day so I thought I would get on the internet and read the news..so depressing. I can't believe another hostage was executed in Iraq, this one was from Korea. A very sad situation with no positive outcome in sight. I guess all we can do is pray for peace to come soon.

Susan I'm glad you went to the doctor and he prescribed the pill. Hopefully that will regulate things. I'm going on vacation to Lake George, NY in July. Every year my sister and I vacation together with our kids. Of course now, my son and her oldest son no longer want to go due to work commitments, girlfriends etc. So, my daughter and I go with my sister and her youngest son and we always have a great time. We usually go to a different place but we enjoyed lake George so much last year we decided to go back.

Domina you did very well at the tournament. Isn't it exciting when they play one of your drives!! At the tournament I was in we played only one of mine, but it was such a thrill!! Amazing story about the golf pro who could drive while kneeling. I can't picture that...although one time I was golfing with DH and the foursome in front of us had one player who only had one leg. I could not believe how he could balance himself and make some very good drives.

Melissa sounds like you're getting a bit of rain. We could sure use some here. It is very dry, but hopefully we'll get a little today. You're doing very well with your walks. It's nice to have a friend to walk with..makes the time (exercise) go by more quickly. Good luck curbing the night time snacking. I'm struggling with that also.

Lala welcome back! Glad you had a nice time at the wedding. It is very tough to watch what you eat while traveling. Hopefully you'll be home for a bit and can get it back in control.

Well Ladies time to sign off. Will talk to you soon.

Hi everyone again.

I am having a hard time getting back on track and I am not pleased. I am hoping that getting home and getting the refrigerator straightened out will help. Its been super warm here and DP didn't cook anything, so the fridge is full of stuff she bought at the farmer's market. I did take some turkey breast meat out of the freezer this am to make burgers to grill and some stuffed peppers. I think i'll make the burgers for sure. I'm not one for the oven today.

I did go to the gym today and hill walk for 35 mins. I am hoping to mow the lawn tonight and get some watering in. I did not one stitch of exercise while in Germany. I did exercise my mouth and yesterday on the plane too. Bad lala.

Would you guys believe me if I said that other than a trip with DP to France in September, I think I'm done with Europe for the year? Really. I am too tired to fly to London for the weekend.

Anyways, Susan, I'm glad you got yourself to a meeting. I will be happy to work with you. My goal is still to get to 123 by July 30th and 116 by Sept 30th. That seems doable. I hope the pill works too. I like the balance ball for crunches, but I'm really buckling down on weights at the gym. Three times a week for thirty minutes.

Domina -- way to go on the golf tourney. Nice on the drives too. What is a total gym? It sounds good.

Pam -- I can't agree with you more on the beheadings. Yech and sad. Where is Lake George?

Melissa -- I can understand the eating at night thing. As for the mexican restaurant feeling, I had one of those last week. I wish there was a way to stop before we feel nasty. For me that nasty turns into negative backtalk all the way home. Grr.

As for TOM, mine hit the evening before my flight and I stupidly unpacked all those things you need due to some senior moment. I also put my passport/euros/europegack in the toiletries closet at the same time I put away all those TOM things. Good thing I reached back into the closet to get something or there would have been an interesting morning trying to remember where I put my passport ect.

However, the bloating did not make for a comfortable wedding experience and there is nothing like going to buy feminine protection with your uncle.

lala

Pam, your upcoming vacation with Sis sounds great. The guy who drove a ball on his knees had a tall tee and that was it!! It was amazing to watch.

lala, I don't believe that you will only have one more trip to Europe this year. You sure are the traveler. Oh yes, I've had to buy those things with men before, quite an interesting experience. I don't know how you travel so much and not gain a bunch of weight. I'm so bad when I travel. Have you golfed any lately?

Yesterday, I really tried to stay OP, but failed (not as bad as other days). I snacked in the afternoon (bad Lisa). For dinner, I made pork chops on the grill with apricot salsa. That was good. Tonight it's lean steaks on the grill. Yes, with the heat, I'm grilling a lot.

Good morning!

It's a beautiful morning here--61 degrees and sunny. I was so inspired that I went for a short walk when I got to the office. I may see if my friend wants to walk tonight at the peninsula. It's such a beautiful place and we can see the sailboats on the lake. I need to keep busy in the evening and I know that'll help with the snacking. It's a vicious cycle though.

Lala: I don't know how you do it with all the traveling--I'd be dead on my feet The pictures from your trip were beautiful. For some reason when I thought of Iran I though of sand, palm trees, not the beautiful tree lined streets, etc. Thanks for sharing them!

Domina: I love being able to grill--I bake my potatoes on the grill as well and anything else that I can. It's been on the cooler side here so it hasn't been bad for cooking. Last night I made Zatarain's Jambalaya along with a nice salad. I'm all for quick and easy during the summer.

Susan: I hope the bcp get you regulated. You'll probably feel better too! How is everything going? Are you getting back to your "old" habits? It's kind of like riding a bike, you remember how you just need a refresher

Pam: Is Lake George near Saranac Lake? We went up there a number of years ago the first weekend in August for a rugby tournament--it was gorgeous! The weather was perfect too, cool mornings and warm afternoons the weekend we were there.

Not too much else going on here--getting ready for our next orientation and then we get a little breather. I'm taking next Friday off for a long weekend (we get Monday off for the 4th) so I'm looking forward to that.

Drizzle and overcast skies this morning. Perfect for my afternoon drive to Cape Breton for a meeting tomorrow.

I'd like to say that the old habits have come right back Melissa but that's just not the case. I'm struggling. I think it will help to have company in this repeat journey lala. Perhaps once the TOM thing gets regulated I will have less compulsion to eat non-stop in the evenings.

Your vacation sounds wonderful Pam. Are your daughter and nephew about the same age? Just think, once they get too old to hang with you, you and your sister will be able to do this alone!!

Your pork chop and apricot salsa sounds yummy Domina. Have you ever tried the portobello/soy burgers from Costco? Perhaps they're a local thing? We had them last nite and even DH was satisfied. He's a big fan of burgers and I thought he might reject the healthier version but he was pleasantly surprised at how tasty they were. 2 points each!

I agree that all of the travel makes weight loss difficult, especially since the trips are short. If you had more time at each destination lala, you might be able to incorporate enough exercise to offset the richer foods. BTW, thanks for the mental image of you and your uncle at the checkout

I probably won't get a chance to get back here before Friday, so have a good, OP couple of days. I'll try to do the same

Hi everyone,

Domina -- did you try any of those salads I copied out of Real Simple?

Melissa -- Saranac lake -- I am dying to go there. That was the birthplace of the American Sanatorium movement, a social phenomena near and dear to my heart.
The walk on the peninsula sounds divine. I take it you are on Lake Eire?

Susan -- I am trying to keep you on track. I had a badish evening, but today is starting out okay. Must dig through fridge and start cooking up all this produce. DP is such a good shopper, but not a good user of everything. I see stuffed peppers, herbed pesto with salmon and lots of salads in our future. Have a great weekend.

Domina-- No golf yet. I have a friend who really needs to hit a bucket of balls, so I'll got with her this week. I need a glove.

Pam --- I like the idea of vacationing with your sis too. I just spent three days with my brother, that was enough. My bro is vacationing with my parents right now. I wish I could be with them.

Okay, cool and grey here today, highs around 73. Will do laundry today, I think its time to look at a new washing machine. Gosh, they are spendy. However, ours is wheezing and losing parts left and right. Must mow tonight too, guess that will earn me some activity points.

Last night we took jacques to the ppatch and he enjoyed our walk and his raspberry tasting. He loves them and quite enjoys the handful he got from me.

lala

lala, no, I haven't tried the recipes yet, but they look yummy. Which ones have you tried? Oh, I forgot to tell you about the Total Gym. It's an incline board with a pulley system. You pull your own weight up the incline. I've had mine for about 3 years and I really like it. It's for strength training. What attracted me to it was that it only takes 10-15 minutes a day. I use it 6 days a week. As you get stronger, you move the board to a steeper incline. It's sold on infomercials; I know, you're rolling your eyes, but it is a very good product. I bought mine on the Internet.

This weekend, I'm going to see my sister. She's moving and I'm helping her get ready for a yard sale. I hope to get some golf in, too. I also hope I'll be eating better.

Hi, Melissa, Susan, and Pam.