Good morning and happy new week to all the Maintainers! I'm starting my 'countdown to Thanksgiving' list today (I am SO much a list person that I probably have a dozen lists going at any one time ). This week I'm going to focus on cleaning and Christmas shopping so that next week can be groceries and cooking.

DS and DD will be home from college for Thanksgiving (for four days) and I just can't wait! DD has lost 44 pounds since I last saw her in June and I'm afraid that I won't recognize her at the airport. The same thing happened to me when my father met me at the airport after I had lost most of my weight -- and he walked right past me! THAT was a moment to savor!

I've had two outstanding food days and feel right back in the groove. What did the trick, I think, was publicly commiting to all of you that I was going to stick to my food plan. How could I mess up after that?! So feel free to check up on me anytime [Ilene] and yell at me if I'm messing up [Ilene]! The next six weeks are the hardest of the year for me and I'm going to need all the help that I can get.

Look for some exciting developments here at Maintainers! You all gave us some excellent suggestions in the Maintainers 2005 thread. We'll be starting a book discussion group in January - our first book will be the revised Thin For Life and then I'd like to go on to discuss other books. We're also going to get an expanded Maintainers section of the discussion board, with room to grow . I'm going to work on pulling together a permanent 'best of' thread (outstanding Maintainers posts that we don't want to get lost) and the Maintenance Manual (since we're writing the book on maintenance right here! ). Other suggestions are always welcome!

Check in, everyone, and tell us what's new and how things are going.

Check-in time: I discovered I'm not bullet-proof. LOL, as if I didn't know that already. Too much mental probing at trigger points and I found one. I had 1 short disaster, it's over, and I'm back.

Congrats to your DD, Meg. Is she doing any particular plan or just being a busy student and cooking (or not) for herself? Your family is positively wasting away!

My week will be spent THINKING about all the things I sould be doing to get ready for Thanksgiving, but probably not doing any of them until I go into panic mode next week-end. Let's not even go into the Christmas-Hannukah disaster. And DD graduates from college winter term, which is Dec. 12
One day at a time is about all I can manage.

Today is leg day so I'll be a limping dishrag by the end of the day


Gotta run, more later.

Mel

Mornin' Megster

WOW, your DD lost 44#... Very cool... send some pics... I've decided to keep the revised edition of Thin for Life, so I'm looking forward to the book discussion...

I'm a bit tired today but I will go to the gym for LEGS!! Yesterday was busy I helped a total of 7.5 hours at the church supper. I was at the stove with the gravy and peas and carrots... I'm sure I've gotten a carrot facial, does anyone know if that's good for the skin? It must be afterall it's carrots... Inbetween my working there and home I jogged 5.8k, it was just too nice a day to stay cooped up so I went for a jog and I was very pleased with my time and distance...

I'm off to make the soup Cindy posted last week... beef broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, white beans and frozen spinach...

TTFN ... Let's be careful out there this week... the HOLIDAYS are fast approaching...

Friday was a disaster. My three day weekend got ruined when I got called back into work, and that night I 'accidently' did a face plant in a bunch of cookies. Didn't think they were connected at the time. In hindsight, duh. Aside from that, it's been a good food week.

My century ride that I've been training for months for is coming up next Saturday and I'm starting to get nervous. I dropped a very heavy object on my right foot a couple days ago. It now has a huge, painful bruise, and I'm pretty lucky I didn't break it. Checked it out yesterday and at least I can still ride, months of work not completely shot by one act of stupidity. I'm tapering off my training for the week to get good and rested, so I'm probably going to be grumpy, nervous, and limping this week.

There is also something subconscious boiling, stewing in my mind, almost like resolve--a definite change is coming. It feels emotionally very much like what happened to me right before I lost the weight, stewed for just over a month and then just broke out. I'm thinking I'm getting ready to push through those last 15 lbs. I've (potentially) got some big changes coming next year, and I feel like I need to be ready to meet those. Of course after Friday, I could also be getting ready to quit my job! I'll let you know when whatever it is finally breaks out.

So it feels like a momentous week coming. I'm going to have to be careful with the food. In prep for that, I kept the junk food we bought this weekend at the grocery to the bare minimum needed to keep DH from whining.

It's good to hear about everyone getting back on track this week. And what awesome news about your daughter, Meg! Everybody have a good one!

So, I woke up to my 1st official morning as a Lifetime member (thank you all so much for the nice responses to my post) and ate a great breakfast! I am very mindful of portion control; it was definitely one of the keys to getting to goal. I measured out 1 cup of grapefruit slices to have with my toast, but with eating slowly, discovered I only wanted half of them. So that's all I had! No problem tossing the others, no compulsion to put 7 grapefruit wedges in a tiny Tupperware container only to have them rot in the back of the fridge.

We are not really doing Thanksgiving this year; we're taking a few days to go to Montreal. True, there is excellent food there but there are also lots of opportunities to walk. Our hotel has a pool and big fitness center. I am bringing my resistance tube. Meg, I checked out that Krista site you mentioned--it's great!

I am wearing my chic new hat which is my reward for Lifetime. I am also getting myself a new gym bag--but no food rewards.

Time to start the work day--my healthy food is packed. Have a good day.

Good morning, everyone!

I'm up a couple of lbs this morning but I'm thinking it's gotta be water - I had a very nicely restrained weekend. Last week was awesome exercise-wise, too - got to the gym every day except rest day on Saturday. I'm feeling pumped and ready for Thanksgiving - especially with all the support here. It's so great to read what you all write about your plans and strategies. It also helps to know that most of you are a bit nervous about the holidays like I am. We can do this!

Today is cardio at the gym with my workout buddy. Later at home, I will do 30 min of Pilates. That's the plan! I also plan to have a Turkey Reuben (from Eating for Life) for lunch - I can't WAIT!

Have a fit day!

OH! I'd like to buy a hand blender (not a mixer) to help out with all my cottage cheese (and other) purees. I know there's someone here who uses one (Ilene?) - can you recommend a type or brand? I've never shopped for one before.

Meg, I'm a master list maker, too. My friend was over yesterday and gave me a hard time about all the different lists I had sitting on my counter.

But isn't it the best feeling in the world to check off all the items on our little lists? I'm sure that's half the reason that I make them in the first place -- just so I can check things off!

KarynLee: I have alwayas bought the Braun hand mixers... They usually last 6-7 years, and I used them 2-3 times DAILY...

Hey all,

Eek, bad weekend, not the worst by any means, just had some chocolate yesterday due to stress and being a bit sick... I don't really want to justify unplanned indulgences. I know they happen and that I should just learn from it and move on.

Anyway I am just a wee bit stressed right now, my week is jammed packed this week, what I am worried about are my ffod selections.. It is good since I usually won't mindlessly snack, but often my regular food choices go downhill when I am this busy. After Christmas my schedule will settle down.

Elana: I still measure most of my food too! Congrats on making lifetime.

Meg: congrats for your DD, I found that when I started losing weight there was a huge ripple effect on people I know who started losing weight too. 2 of my brothers lost weight, so did my mom, my best friend, people I knew who came up and told me they started after seeing my success. Yah for your DD!!


Anyway I am proud of all of you, today I started off well and since today will be really long and I have carefully planned and brought along all my food I should do well!

Cheers!

Ali

Like Ilene - I definitely recommend the Braun. You can get one muy cheapo at Walmart or Target - around $20.00 - and they last a LONG time (I have once that's still tickin' I bought back in August 2001...bought another one earlier this year from Macy's for $17.99 - I keep one at home, one at work! )

Thanks Ilene and Mrs. Jim - going to WalMart today!!

Meg, do you put things on your list that you've already done JUST so you can check them off??? I do! Yep, I'm pretty much addicted to checking things off lists. It makes me feel productive.

LOL- Karyn, I do that. At least it makes me feel like I've accomplished something!

legs done- check

Mel

Oooooh! The exercise police were looking for me! Well, Saturday was a blow out. It was nice weather here so we did outisde work. I guess cleaning out chickens is exercise.
I finally got a good long (1 1/2 hours) walk in on Sunday but today is the first day in ages that my eating is right on. The weekend was horrifyng! One day, the only protein I had was bean dip.
I worked this morning so legs can be this evening.
I have been known to lose a list, knowing full well that there are unchecked items on it