I think 21 pages is enough to wade thru on board #17 -- let's start a new one!

Yippee!! But I still have to go wade through the last few pages I missed!

We had a good time last night. We had to travel about 2 hours to get to the church where DH did his concert. But it wasn't too bad. And he got paid pretty nicely, so not bad for a day's work. It was nice, we got to see some friends from NC as well. So a pretty good day.
Not a good eating day though.... We went out for mexican beforehand. They were buying so I was trying to find something inexpensive and ordered what someone else did, a veggie quesedilla. It was really good, filled with mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Unfortunately it also had cheese sauce in it. But I guess it was better than some choices. And I managed to eat like four chips, so better than a basketload.
Anyway, it fueled my desire to do even better this week. In about three weeks we are going to a wedding back in NC and I really want to lose as much as possible between now and then (well, eat well, so that I feel good when I go!). So I'm going to get it in gear. I'm feeling pretty much back up to par, so I need to re-enter the world of exercise. Hopefully I can get my gazelle out and "ride" it during 24 tonight. DH is sleeping right now so that he can get up and watch the 2 hour finale. He has to go to work at 2am tonight (or tomorrow morning I guess). The church interview is on Wednesday.... . Hopefully no more third shift soon!!
Well I am going to go catch up on board 17...

Hi there,

Just checking in before bed.

Kathy - I was really, really, really hoping that by the time those bratty unappreciative kids reach 18 or so that the worst would be over....but I can now see that this is not the case! Guess it will be a long, long while before I can stop being a drill sargent around here!

Meilssa - sounds like you did good - despite being slighlty off plan - you made the best choices you could at the time!

Long weekend here so I had today off - another cold and miserable rainy day. We decided to spend the day at the Museum of Civilization - lots of fun (only 6 yr old wanted to come along so the other two left at home to msn their life away!). Saw some great exhibitis - esp liked the one on the sixties (am I dating myself?). Also got to see an IMAX movie - gosh I love those so much - and I realize we rarely go - I think the last time was like over 5 years ago? This one was called "mysteries of the nile" about a 4 month expedition down the nile - quite exciting and such beautiful and breathtaking scenery! Ds also really enjoyed his time at the "children's museum" section which was also quite fun.

My main problem was "bathroom visits" - I must have eaten something that did not sit well as I was having tummy issues and need to visit the washroom alot. Was very hungry too - so we had a coffee and muffin at the cafetaria - and then later some popcorn and diet coke. I was not even hungry for dinner tonight - but did have a decaf nf cappuccino when dd was dancing.

My throat is also feeling a bit scratchy and hurts when I swallow - not a good time to be sick (is it ever?) so I am trying to tend to it as best I can.

Today's eating not great but I have already packed my lunch and fruit for tomorrow in order to try and stay on plan - must get rid of those 3 lbs I gained - what a battle!

Now I need to read something for work so I can intelligently discuss it at the 10 am meeting I scheduled tomorrow morning (what the heck was I thinking?).

Hope everyone had a great weekend.

nitey night!

Frouf

Evening everyone! Regarding weight loss in the beginning on Core... I lost pretty steadily right from the beginning, although I only went to weigh-in every other week, so that evened it out a bit. I never had any HUGE losses, but I also never gained until the week I got my Lifetime. Go figure.

I may have a gain this week. If it's small, I'm fine. I'm happy with where I am, and I'm using this time to work on maintenance.

I've got preschool at my house tomorrow and Thursday. It should be fun. We're talking about the Joy of Family Security, Identity and Pride. Tomorrow's lesson is about when they were babies, they were loved and taken care of, etc. We even get a visit from a real baby! (One of my friends has a 2 month old little girl).

I think I'm going to bed now. I'm tired, and I'll be BUSY tomorrow.

Angela

melissa, you made some excellent choices at the mexican food place. that took determination. i'm proud of you.

frouf, it is a battle, isn't it? no matter how wonderful core is--and it is--it's still a constant battle. i'm glad you had a long weekend. the museum trip sounds like fun.

kathy, cher, and angela, thank you for your input on losing on core. i've been weighing almost daily. that can be discouraging. i need to stop that and only weigh once a week. also, i'm eating a lot of salty popcorn. i know i shouldn't, but i haven't decided to stop it yet.

i'm thinking of not going to tops any more. i get most of my support right here. thank you, ladies. i appreciate all of you soooooo much.

Morning all - another day on core. I will have an ice cream cake in the house today so I am going to fight the desire to have it (ok, I might have one piece but I guess I should make the rest of the meals today light ones). I promise to get on my bike today no matter what! I will get those activity points. I took 4 days off and that is a bad, bad thing. I'm dealing with TOM, bloat, weird cramping, etc. etc., hating perimenopause right now.

notnew2this - I know this is strange, but I can't get on the scale right now because I would just go into a deep depression if I had to see the actual number I am! (I know it's just a number but I can't deal with it) I will weigh once a week for maintenance when I am at the point of feel I look good and the clothing size is one I am happy with. The scale would just derail me right now. I know it isn't the conventional way to measure weight loss, but I can tell by looking at my body and the clothing where I am losing (or not losing!) I think I'm going to start measuring for inches lost though.

Melissa - I feel like you have to go with the flow sometimes and one meal slightly off core may slow you down but keep on going. You can always count points for the cheese portion.

Angela - 1 pound to go! Wow. That is fantastic.

Well, I'm going to get ready to jump on that bike while I'm half asleep, clean my kitchen, make those cheesy ff snack crackers and pick up the ice cream cake this am. Wish Dr Phil was on in the am, I need a good tv show to keep me occupied while riding the bike. Have a great day everyone.

Morning All! I feel so out of touch and, of course, I can barely remember what was on Board #17 before I switched over. I think I remember that Cher had a big loss of a pound. Way to go Cher! I know that you've been losing slowly so you must be really happy with your accomplishment this week. Keep it up. We will both get there eventually! Slow and steady wins the race, marathon not a sprint, etc. etc. etc.!

Sandra, I think you asked about weight loss progress. Mine has been like no other plan that I've ever been on. I always recommend that people get on Core and stay on Core for at least 3-4 weeks. I;ve followed the program religiously since I started end of last September. The only problems I have occasionally, I believe, are with portion sizes. Here's my progression for the first 16 weeks; -1.8, -4.0, -.6, +.4, -2.4, -1.4, -2.4, -2.2, -.4, -.8, -.8, -2.2, -.8, -1.6, -1.2 for a total of 22.2 down. It slowed down after that, but I continue to see small loss, small loss, small gain, big loss kinds of patterns. I've learned to give it at least 3-4 weeks at a time before panicking. I'm still losing an average of a pound plus a week. I'm happy with that for a perimenopausal body. I have been walking on the treadmill 6-7 days a week since the beginning. I also think water is essential which I am not always good about.

Melissa, I'm glad you had a great day with your friends. It's great to hear your resolve. I know you can do it. Will you treat yourself with a new outfit or is there one you are working to get back into?

Oh no, Frouf! Hope you aren't getting sick. Sure sounds like the virus I had. You do sound like you had a great day though and still 2 more days off before you return to work? Woo Hoo!

Angela, I can't believe your turn came around so quickly! Your program sounds better than some of the ones around here that people pay to send their kids to. Pretty amazing stuff you have going there. Hope you're doing well on your program. I've always said that maintenance scares me more than the weight loss part of it!

Pnuts, good luck on your all Core day and with the exercise. It can be so hard to start again once you stop.


Well, I've got a busy day planned. I'm waiting to get on the treadmill since Jim is on there now and then I have to go get ready to run some errands. Might have to go babysit for my Great Niece and Nephew while my Niece cleans house.

Have a great day!

Hi everyone.

Oof. I've got a headache, probably from a combination of hormones and putting off breakfast too long. I was trying to get the stupid decals for my car that I need to park it on base and they gave me an incredible run around. First there wasn't enough time left on my (brand-new) id badge (?????), then they only issue decals between 1 and 3. Bleh. I don't think I've ever gotten anything from those people on the first try in my life.

On the brighter side, I was down another pound on my scale this morning, so I may be on track to get to 20 this week-end. And I have a crock-pot beef roast to come home to today, which always makes me feel organized. It's a crazy sounding recipe, with a whole bottle of horseradish in the sauce. I was already thinking of making it--it's from the Slow Good cookbook--and then on Saturday our substitute leader mentioned it and said it was "to die for." So, if I'm not here tomorrow, you'll know why.

Hope you aren't coming down with anything to serious, Froufy.

Good job at the restaurant, Melissa. Chips are really hard to resist when they're right in front of you like that.

Back at work today and it seems to be a very long day? Tomorrow should be very quiet and I will try to catch up on stuff as most staff gone to an off-site meeting.

Trying really, really hard to stay on plan today and stick to Core foods! I am just scared to go home or get too hungry cuz it seems when faced w/temptation I have not been doing that good - and I just nibble here and there and I can no longer afford to do that on a regular basis.

CONGRATULATIONS to Cher on the 1 lb gone forever - good for you. Sorry about the headache - hope it disappears soon!

Pnuts and Sandra - I too am a scale addict and I wish I was strong enuf not to hop on every morning - I know that the numbers somehow subconsciouly affect my day - but it can also be positive sometimes and not negative. I continue to weigh myself daily but question if this is a good plan or not?

Medicated myself last night so my throat does not feel too badly - but did not go to bed early enuf and this is a constant problem for me!

DD's starts her dress rehearsals this thursday so I am busy getting all the stuff she needs (beige tights, black tights at $13 bucks a pop!, some crystals for earrings - still need to get the false eyelashes/glue and some other things) I get so paranoid about having her well organized - all costumes on separate hangers w/accessories - packed in a bag. Last year she actually 'DROPPED" the top of her costume in the parking lot on the way to the car after dress rehearsal.....it was dark out but I kinda thought "what is this pink cloth on ground?" Luckily I picked it up, and there it was w/dd's name on the label - I just about had a hissy fit right there in the lot - she had just dropped it and continued walking to the car - yes one topless dancer in the group! So yes my paranoia has a reason. Just need to keep things together for 2 dress rehearsals and 2 shows...I will be SO HAPPY when it's all over for another year (and did I mention she is in 3 dances? two kinda at the beginning - but of course the tap is almost at the end which makes for a very long night). Will pack myself some snacks, drinks and a good book for dress rehearsals at the very least!

Have a meeting from 1:30 to 3 pm then off to therapist appt w/dh to do some more complaining - what fun!

Frouf

Hi all -

24 was great yesterday. Now DH and I are going to rent the first 3 seasons and catch up with the whole storyline. I posted a recipe for Mulligatawny soup. I made it last night and wow was it tasty. More like a stew than a soup.

Cher - you're gonna get that pound and a half off. You're doing so well and staying focused.

Frouf, start pounding down vitamin C and echinacea. May shorten the life of whatever bug is after you.

Pnuts - I admire you for the non-scale approach. I don't weigh at home because I know that the scale will become an obsession. Just weighing in once a week at WW stresses me out the entire day, but I know that I need the accountability.

Melissa, I haven't been to a Mexican restaurant since starting WW. It sounds like you did okay. Maybe you had some points to cover the cheese and chips? I'd start shopping for the dress for the wedding. Maybe one that fits but is just a wee bit snug right now. That could help keep the motivation high.

Kathy, boy, you are having some tough parenting issues. Hang in there and try to do something nice for you to reward yourself for dealing with difficult things. Just because your child doesn't appreciate you doesn't mean that your sacrifices should go unappreciated. Take care of yourself.

Sandra, you may want to balance the salty popcorn with lots of water. If you like popcorn every day and it's not hampering your weight loss efforts, I'd keep it.

Vickie - Sounds like you've been hard-core all the way. Me too. I have never been able to determine why we get exercise points, so I don't use them. I eat whenever I'm hungry (which is why I love core), but it's usually core food.

So now I'm looking for a weight loss pattern. I've only been doing WW for 9 weeks, and they look like this: -5.4, -7, -0.2, -3.4, -5.2, -4.6, -0.8, -2.6, -2.8 for an average of -3.6. I can see that it's definitely slowing down, which I expected, although my exercise is ramping up. I'm training for an October marathon. I started out walking (and struggled with that), and now am doing quite a bit of running (which I prefer, but never dreamed I could do!). I have started using most of my WPA - I didn't do this the first few weeks. What I find is that it's mostly for junk food, and this seems wrong to me, so I've got to think that through a little more.

Have a fun Tuesday!

Cher, sorry you've got a headache but I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get rid of the whole pound and a half this week. Cher, let me know how you like the beef roast. I'd love to make it but I can't if it has a real strong horseradish taste since Jim doesn't like horseradish. Is the recipe on our site? I'll go look. I have the turnaround cookbook but not the slow cook one.

Frouf, too much stress for me! I don't know how you do it and still lose weight. Your plan to bring snacks and a distraction for yourself sounds like a good one. I'm glad you and DH are still in therapy. Keep plugging away at it. You might just come out of there one of these days with a shiny new hubby!

Terry, your stats are just outstanding. I don't see a pattern either, though. I really admire what you've done and I'm jealous too. I know you've been exercising alot; more than I am willing to do at the moment. I'll get more exercise when I can get into my pool. I intend to do stuff in there in addition to the treadmill. When did you start marathon training? Did you notice a weight loss slow down when you started to build more muscle? Any good suggestions for me for really, really, beginning strength training? A book or a video or a website? I would kill for a good metabolism. 3.6 average per week is high. I'm sure if you were going to WW weigh ins they'd be telling you to eat more. I always ignored them when they said I shouldn't lose more than 2 pounds a week. Now, I'd kill for my 2 pound weeks! You keep going girl. You've already lost a third of what you want to lose. I'm sure you're feeling better already.

Well, I'm off to get rid of more clothes out of my closet. I'll check in later.

I'll post a review tomorrow, as well as the recipe. The intro says that the horseradish is supposed to mellow out as it cooks, like garlic does. If not, well, I'll be working my way through a 3 pound roast by myself, I guess.

Cher, I like horseradish, so I'm hoping your roast is good, 'cuz I'm always up for new recipes.

Vickie - thanks for your kind comments. When I started walking, I had a hard time going around my block without an asthma attack. I started marathon training at the beginning of April, where 1 mile was considered the "long run". Last weekend we did 8 miles. I'm following the training plan at www.jeffgalloway.com. I've done two marathons before and I really like this trainer's philosophy and realistic approach.

I've done a couple of weight training programs in the past that I'd had good results with. One is Body for Life. There's a website, but what was most helpful for me was to buy the book and the workbook. It's a 12-week program and requires a 60-90 minute commitment per day. I'd have to dig through my still unpacked book boxes to find the name of the other weight trainer, but the book is something like "Sculpting her body perfect". It's a different approach, but I got results using it as well. Warning: weight loss does slow down when weight training, especially at the start. I'm not sure why, maybe building muscle, maybe more fluid in the muscle cells, whatever.

This week, I am starting the Gunnar Peterson Core workout. It's 20-30 minutes, 3 or 4x a week weight training with the Core ball. It's quick and simple, but I'm hopeful that it will yield some decent results.

I usually see no difference in my body with weight training until I'm at least 6 to 8 weeks into it. It's easy to get discouraged - so if you're starting a weight training regimen, I'd recommend taking your measurements at the beginning and then every 4 weeks. You'll see differences in strength within a couple weeks. The best part is that your body will start burning more calories even when you're resting as you put on more muscle.

And I eat A LOT. I make recipes that serve 4 and get three servings (2 if I really like it ) - I'll eat entire pots of core soups - big bowls of cereal covered with fruit, etc. I couldn't stay on this plan if it meant being hungry and you don't get to be my weight if you don't have a good appetite.

I think I've mentioned before that I've gained and lost around 100 pounds seven times before, so I've done lots of diet/exercise programs. They all work great until you stop doing them. My biggest weight challenge doesn't start until I reach goal.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. Good luck!

I've made the horseradish roast, and the recipe should be in our board. I didn't care for it very much, as the horseradish flavor was still pretty strong. It DID mellow quite a bit, but it still tasted like horseradish. I like the roast in the crockpot though - it was very easy, and pretty tender.

Angela

You guys won't believe what just happened. I had a long post typed and then picked up the computer, put it in my lap, leaned over and somehow closed the window with my stomach. Now THERE is some motivation.
Anyway, what was I saying....hmmm....
I really appreciate everyone's encouragement regarding my weekend mexican meal. You know I wish that I could get on 3FC while I am at work, it would really help a lot. When I read your encouraging words I am reminded that I'm not doing too awful bad and that there is hope. I think you've even encouraged me to gazelle tonight.
Had a kind of crappy day today, due to a run-in with the boss (yes, again). Anyway, that's how it goes I guess, especially when you work for a control-hungry person. But it turned into a bad eating day too. I ate some of the lean cuisine that I cooked for clients today and a roll. Then when I came home we ended up making homemade pizza, cause I was too lazy to think of something better. Maybe I will try to do something in the crockpot for tomorrow, so I won't have that problem again.
Speaking of tomorrow, its DH's big interview. So keep your fingers crossed!!
Chicks I think that I am going to gazelle before I get more tired. But I will be back soon to respond to everyone. Interesting conversations here today!!!