Good morning,
You ladies are awesome! Thanks so much for all the support you gave me yesterday. Just typing out my frustration help me to organize my thought process. I guess that's why they say journaling is a good thing.

I'm really trying to take things one at a time. I made of list off all the things that I feel I have to get done in order to feel on track. I crossed 3 of them off the list yesterday. This morning I dusted one room. Did a really good job on it too. That's what I was really stressing about. I felt like I was only doing things halfway and that's just not me. It drives me crazy! I'm a little bit of a controling person.

Thanks for all the suggestions on what not to stress about and how to take care of me and my DH.

Sherri: Thanks for keeping my goal on the forefront. I really do need that reminder!

Shortstack: I hope you are feeling better from the surgery and I'm sorry to hear that you need to have a few more things looked into. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Coco: It's good to see you back on the boards. Thanks for your pep talk.

There's one more person and I apoligize for not remembering your name: You said you lost 3 lbs at weighin. Great!! Also congrats for being a co-leader. I don't hold any offices in my chapter so I can't help you with what you will need to do, but I know that there are a lot of ladies here who can help you. From a member perspective I would say just look for ways to support your leader, and keep things motivating and exciting for everyone along the way. I had the opportunity to go to a TOPS workshop this past Saturday and I really enjoyed it. It gave me a good oversight of the TOPS theory and it's a great organization with a clear cut goal: To help others in their weight loss journey, as they make lifestyle changes.

Ok..time to get to work.

Susie

Susie,

Sounds like you are back on track and have things under control again. If you get like that again just try to focus on your goal. I know that is very important to you and you will make it.

Barb,

Congrats on getting Co Leader you will do a great job. I was co leader before. Just make sure like susie said to motivate everyone and remember you can't do the work for them. There are those there that are there for the social aspect and those that are there for the support. Concentrate on the ones that are there for the support. Maybe you and the leader could take turns running the meetings. That is what we did. There are so many things you can do for contests and for raising money.
For raising money what I did was anyone that lost weight or turtled could participate each week. For every week you lost or turtled you would put a ticket in the jar. This would last for the whole year. We got tearoff tickets at the dollar store. They would put their name on the ticket before putting it in the jar. So there were 2 jars. One for the money and the other for the tickets. At the end of the year you would draw a name and whoevers name you drew would get half the money. The other half would go to the chapter. After a year of everyone putting in their quarters you would have a lot of money. But remember you can only enter the drawing if you lost or gained. EVERYONE HAD TO PUT A QUARTER IN THE JAR WHETHER THEY LOST OR GAINED. BUT YOU COULD ONLY PUT A TICKET IN FOR THE DRAWING IF YOU LOST OR TURTLED.
Some of the contests I used to do was breaking up in teams of 2 or more and you would get points for the week for doing certain things like keeping a journal, losing weight, exercising, drinking water, attending the meeting etc. The team with the most points at the end would win. We would give away 1 months free dues. Or we played ducky dollars. I made them on the computer and put them in an envelope. There would be one for each member of different amounts. You would make most of them $1.00 and some $5.00 and $10.00 and $20.00. We only had 1 that was a 20 and a couple that were tens. Everyone would get a ducky dollar in a sealed envelope so they wouldn't know the value. They would keep their dollars as long as they lost weight. If you gained you would have to give it up. Then open it to see what you lost out on. No one knew how many of the different amounts there were. Everyone just hoped they had the $20.00 one. You do this each week until you get down to the last one. The last one holding a ducky dollar got to receive the amount that was in their envelope. This can go on for a little while so it is exciting to see who will lose it each week. If they lose their ducky dollar they are out of the game as well. They would take their ducky dollar with them to roll call if they gained weight to open it to see what they lost.
I have more ideas if you want. There are a lot of ladies on here with great ideas to help you out. Keep up the great work.

As for me I have gotten off track in the past week. I started riding the bike 10 miles a day and I was concentrating on that and not my points. So I am up this week. I won't be able to weigh in this week because I have a meeting to go to and will miss my meeting. Plus the kids are still sick. Megan had strep throat last thursday and was at the dr's thursday and friday. Jesse got looked at on friday as well and went on an antibiotic because he was hoarse and his throat was red. Well he went down hill since. He can't keep anything down for 4 days now. He is going back to the dr today. Then we got Ben on sunday he went to the dr on friday with an ear infection and a sinus infection. Well I took him back to the dr yesterday and now he has the croup. So it is fun in my household right now.LOL I am starting fresh today and I am going to concentrate on my points and just do the exercise without thinking too much about it. It is important to track and do points to lose the weight. So today is my fresh start and next week my goal is to be in the 180's. I will do this. I can't keep off track I have a goal to reach and I won't get there by overeating. Also I got 3 boxes of carmel delights girl scout cookies. I ate 1 1/2 boxes. Yesterday I threw out the remaining cookies. Even the new box that wasn't open yet. I figured I supported my daughter in her sales but it doesn't mean I have to eat the cookies. I was going to put the new box in the freezer. But decided I didn't need those cookies at any time. So I got rid of them. That was the first step in the right direction and I felt great with that decision.
Well I have to get me and the boys ready to go to the dr's. It is snowing here again today. We are to get another 3-5 inches. I hate snow. I have to take both boys with me to the dr's it should be interesting.
Remember your goals you have set for you. You can reach the stars if you try hard enough. Everything is possible with a dream and a plan.

Sherri

Hi Sherri, thank you for the ideas for games, we do games too and it is fun... Ever done the Octapus game?? we all make yarn octapuses with 8 legs... we decorate each one..... I did mine last year with a spring hat and purple verigated yarn... each one is unique and different, we then have to cut a leg off if we gain weight.... its hard to keep all eight legs ofcourse, we didnt give a prize for the most legs but we had a lot of fun with our octapus dolls..... nobody wants to get a leg cut off, its a hoot.... My week has gone fairly well, much better than last week..... take care and thanks, Barb...