Well, time for a new thread. For a long time a few of us have been chatting and helping each other. We always welcome newcomers and try to support you. Some of us have had failurs (which we all understand and try to work through) and some of us have great success and are trying to maintain that success.
What is working for you?
What did you do that didn't work?
Low point ideas?
Share your stories and we can learn together and make friends. Together we cannot fail!
Linda

Linda - My thoughts exactly. I was just about to start a new thread to go with my new determination!

Hello, everyone. My name is Melanie and I am a holiday food addict. It has been 16 hours since my last cheese ball and cookie. Hark! I hear them calling me! They await in yon copy room! And, in my hand, I hold documents that must be faxed and copied! Here I go... ...Whew! I made it!

Seriously, the holidays, sinus infection, vacation, hectic schedule, have all taken their toll on me. I have gained about 7# back. I have to stop it now. Saturday is our Christmas celebration at my mother's. That's the only big food day for me that I just can't resist. So, other than that, I pledge to be a good girl.

Well, my sinus infection cleared up as soon as we got to TX. As soon as we got back to KY, both sides of my nose clogged! It's getting better. I'm going to go to the gym after work and do a light workout, as I'm not 100%, but I can't keep using that excuse. I have discovered that tests have been done that explain I live right in the middle of the worst area in the country for allergy sufferers. Urgh! Hope we get to Bible Institute soon. I bet everything is frozen in Michigan!

I haven't weighed at the true WI time, but I can guess at what the news will be. I'm going to change my signature (sigh...) and set my new goals! Starting, with journalling today and doing a 30 min. workout.

Hi, Tanya! Welcome to the board. Looks like you are off to a great start!

What is working? Not me, right now. But in the past, I would say, planning ahead. Like Linda just did for Pizzaria Uno (terribly jealous, BTW. I ate at one once and have never found one again!). Know your choices going in and don't let the menu or others tempt you to stray.

What is not working? Ignoring the problem. Just because things have gotten holiday hectic, doesn't mean I can ignore my health and eating.

LP idea? I am currently loving Baskin Robin's sugar free candies. Particularly, mint chocolate. yum. 5-6 for 1 pt.

Let's brainstorm about what we can do to prevent over indulging over the holidays, but still not feel deprived!

Welcome to Tanya! I know how you feel about being tired of seeing the scale go up and down. Congratulations on your recent loss with the WW core plan. I like the core plan too and have tried it, but have found it too restrictive as I cook for a family of four and have a son and husband who absolutely refuse to even think about brown rice or pasta vs. white. I ended up cooking two meals all the time and that wasn't helping save money or time.
I am trying to stay away from white bread (actually that is easy for me), sugar and you are right that fried food does make me binge as well - I hadn't thought of it that way. Even if I have flex points and CAN have certain fried foods, I find that having them makes me go a bit crazy.
I'm the queen of emotional eating. For those of you who don't know me, I lost my dad to bone cancer this fall and lost control of myself and gained back all my weight. I've finally gotten past my really bad times. I will always miss my dad but that is no excuse, at least not anymore. I self medicated with food. I seemed to want to eat all my dad's favorite foods, which was a weird thing to do, I think. I needed to have his favorite things to keep him close to me? Or, was I making excuses as the true "me" inside really wants to eat all that stuff. But, I can't eat like I did when I was a teenager and never gained an ounce anymore.
Tanya, tell me how much and how you micro individual servings of no pudge! Great idea! I have FF cool whip right in the fridge and also a pack of no pudge in the cabinet!
Melanie, good to hear from you. Sorry about the 7 pound gain back. But.... it is the holiday season and you just got back from vacation. You'll get back to work and it will be gone, but let's be honest about this. Will you lose it now or after Christmas? If we can strategize on how you can keep from gaining more over Christmas, or even just get through with even only one pound more gained. Maybe that will be a success?
Those Baskin Robbins candies sound yummy, I'll have to look for them.
By the way, I went (busy times call for dining out and lots of menus that are not the best) to a Longhorn Steakhouse on Thursday night with my daughter. Unlike Pizzeria Uno, they didn't have a web site to tell me nutritional information. In fact, I e-mailed them and ASKED them to provide it after looking them up on line.
There could be some great choices on their menu, but I didn't have a clue. Often the items you think could be better choices aren't the best in the end.
I ordered their smallest steak dinner, an 8 oz sirloin. I had a baked potato (steering clear of the side orders that probably are brimming with fat/sodium and calories) and also had a salad with lite vinaigrette dressing. I was disappointed (couldn't stop myself from eating it, either) that the salad came with croutons and shredded cheese on it. It was tasty, but I had to count two points for it and I forgot to ask for my dressing on the side. Oh well, I'll do better next time! I also asked for margarine instead of butter for my potato, and when the potato came it had a huge dollop of butter on it. I ate it, but I should have sent it back I guess. It was soooo good, though.
I think my entire meal there was probably something like 15 points, but I have no way of knowing for sure. I tried really hard to journal it all and did my best.
I think I will write Pizzeria Uno and thank them for providing nutritional information. I realize that as a consumer, I need to let companies know when they are doing something right!
Linda, still trying even though it's hard this time of year

Hey Guys it's me Anna. Still struggling.... I lost 40lbs my first time on WW and gained about 35lb back before getting back OP. I stick to points, when I tried core I would binge and so I fell off the wagon and gained the 35lbs. So im back to points, It just easier for me to be able to have what I want in moteration then to not have it at all. I love whole wheat bread. I also make brown rice and noodles for myself and will sneak it to the family when I can mix it in to stuff and they cant tell. I just really need to get into the kick of working out. I just cant get into it and I dont know why.

Melanie, dont worry about the gain. Just work on staying OP for one day at a time we all have slip ups specially during this time of the year, what would life be without indulging just once in awhile and then getting back on track. That's what's so great about WW.

Dairy Daughter glad your doing well. I went to Longhorns and they told me that they couldnt give me the nutritional values of their foods because they are cooked to order or something like that. I think it's a load of BS, but the food is so good there.

Anna, I think you are right about Longhorns and the BS, or should we say CS, get it cows as they are a steak house. So much for my efforts at humor today.
I am feeling sad as I went out ot eat again last night and have continued losing control. I've not even completed my journals for the last couple of days, though I have started them dilligenty each morning.
I don't want to spin out of control again, but this is not mourning my dad and feeling sorry emotional eating here, this is partying... a very different kind of dangerous eating.
Today, I hope to eat all my meals at home as I am much more in control that way.
Linda

Thank goodness for you gals and this website! If I didn’t log on here right now, I think it would be very easy to just race for the egg nog and celebrate with all the fat and calories the season has to offer. But, you keep me grounded (though you can’t always knock the cookies out of my hand). Thank you.

Well, I did eat TOO MUCH at my mother’s on Saturday, but it was mostly low fat items. Just a lot of them! Now, that is behind me, and I will get back on track.

Egg Nog tip: I got some Reduced Sugar/Low Carb egg nog. At first, I dumped out my glass and considered tossing the container. Blech. Not the real stuff, ya know. But last night, I decided to give it another try. After a sip, I decided it needed cinnamon. So, I added a good dash. Yum. Much better and half the calories!

The Christmas play is over, or will be after I help clean up the church tomorrow night. That means life will greatly start getting back to normal and a LOT less eating out. You’re right, Linda. It can be difficult. Either they don’t post the nutritional info, or you find yourself weak and just don’t care! Humph. I guess it goes back to, “how determined are we?” I remember a year ago when there is no way I would have made the dinner selection I had last night. But, that was last night. Today is today. I will do better today.

DH has been off 2 weeks for vacation and starts back to work tonight. Tee-hee. Don’t tell him I’m kinda happy about it. It’s nice to have the house to myself some. I might stop to rent a movie he has no interest in seeing and call it a party!

I do plan to keep myself under control over the holidays as much as possible. My goal is to drop about 2-4# necessary to be back under 160 before the first of the year. Perhaps ambitious for the holidays, but worth the effort.

Tis the season for chocolate...and I am not doing well in the resistance department. Our meeting got cancelled due to snow this week...we found out when we got there, hadn't listened to the radio. So, we went out for Chinese instead. Then, this weekend, I ate 1/2 a box of Pot of Gold all by myself. BAD BAD BAD! There went all my flex points for this week in one fell swoop. Why can't people buy me books instead of chocolate???? I brought the rest of the box to work and gave it away to keep me from eating the rest, too. The worst part is that I had eaten them one by one and 1/2 of them were gone before I even realized it. Oh well. No parties until Sunday, so I should be able to maintain this week...as long as nobody else gives me a box of chocolate.

I have to agree on the Baskin Robbin's SF candies. Yummy! I like their texture, too. Very smooth.

Hi All

Well - by some force of nature I have actually hit my mini-holiday goal. Go me! Now I would love to hit 167 by New Year's but this week will be difficult enough without worrying about that.

I made fudge and gingerbread cookies this past weekend which most will be given away by tomorrow - good thing because I just helped myself to a few pieces of fudge. Granted, they are small but I don't need to rationalize it.

Friday will be pizza with my dad's side of the family for our Christmas get-together and gift exchange. I think I can do ok with this because I will make sure there is a salad there!!

Saturday is mom's side with traditional Christmas dinner. I usually do ok with this as well because I don't really eat much else during the day. I know that's not the way to plan it but every other day of the week I eat 4-5 mini-meals so I think one or two days of the year of one big meal won't hurt me too much.

What's been helping me? I chart everything I eat. I try to only eat 3-4 of my flex points. I EXERCISE!! Getting on the treadmill 3-4 days a week has been helping me tremendously (especially when I eat dinner at 6:30pm, Run at 8:00, and go to bed by 9:30 - this doesn't leave a lot of time for snacking or a huge dinner so if I make the commitment to get on the treadmill Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I should be A-OK See - I've already committed it to YOU guys so now I will do it!)

My computer - logging on to this site and the Biggest Loser website really motivates me (I like looking at all the before/after pictures!!)

Hi guys, I wondered where you had all gone! Found you at last!!!

Well, I had the Work party on friday night, ate loads, drank even more, the hangover was one NOT to remember! But hey, I had a great time. I don't think the little black dress looked quite at good as last year, but as one of my (very kind) friends says, its not that I've particularly gained much weight, but I've changed shape quite a bit! Why is it that it has to be my tummy that changes shape, and not for the better? Anyway, its over with now, and more food to come, every day, from now on for the next week, or more.

I think you are all doing so well, considering the time of year. The will power of you guys is amazing. Last year I could well have been the same, this year, its just not quite there. I will try harder!

Oh yeah, Allie, my sister is in your part of the world right now. Shes staying near Haliburton (?) in Ontario for Christmas, then heading down to Niagara falls for New year. I know Ontario is probably huge, probably even bigger than my little old England, but still, you never know, you might live right next to where she's staying for all I know! Apparantly, she got there yesterday and she overlooks a lake, which she can't actually see as there's about 3 feet of snow on it. Let me know if thats a bit of an exaggeration!

Anyway, got to go, pressies to wrap and dinner to prepare, back later, take care!

Hi everyone, just in case I don't make it back here in time, just wanted to wish all my friends here a WONDERFUL, healthy, fun-filled, family surrounded, pressie packed and carrot-a-plenty christmas.

Have a great time, loads of love to you all!

Hello girls, yes, I'm still alive!

I won't have much internet access the following days so I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, have a great time, lots of fun, tis the season to eat, drink and be happy! I know I'll gain weight over the festive period, but I'll be back to the plan in January and I will finally reach my goal!

Hope you are all doing well, have great fun girls and see you all in 2006!

Hi! Not much chatting right now. I guess none of us are anxious to talk much about WW this time of year.

So, I'll give us something else to talk about. I peed on a stick and got 2 lines!!! So, I went to the store and got 2 more tests. Digital this time, so it will be absolutely clear. I'm not official until I have to pee again, but I had to talk about it!!!

I was going to wait and tell DH on Christmas morning, but I couldn't stand it. I called him upstairs right away!

So, I'll let you know what happens with my next tests!

Melanie, OMG! What a christmas pressie this is gonna be for both you and DH! I am so chuffed for you that I am crying right now as I type!
YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The next tests will be exactly the same, they are usually so accurate these days that when it was me, my doctor didn't even bother to test me, just believed the one and only test I did!

I am so proud of you! Have a wonderful time taking in the news, eat well over Christmas (not so much wine though, shame, but worth it!) and wait for the sickness to hit you!

Merry Christmas! This year is going to be a great one!

Yep, Dawny. The 4 a.m. test said "pregnant". We had a bit of trouble sleeping last night. I kept waking up and would be wide awake, try another hour, and finally managed a total of 3. I'm not sure if this morning's nausea is from the baby or lack of sleep! I had been feeling off this week, but attributed it to PMS since an earlier test did not detect the pregancy. When I was unusally hours late yesterday (I'm that clock-work) I decided to use the other test I had. Christmas Surprise! Though, I guess I will have to pack away my hopes of fitting back in my size 10 jeans after the holidays!

We are going to my dad's for Christmas tonight and David's family tomorrow. I'm going to make Gift Certificates for a grandchild and wrap them to be opened with the other gifts. I can't wait to see their reactions! I just got off a hour and a half phone call with my mother.

This morning I'm feeling soooo excited, but very nervous at the same time. Normal, I know. There is so much to think about and do. Like, can I have some egg nog? Luckily, I had a couple glasses of wine at the office Christmas party the other day, so I can look at that as my last for quite a while. I'm be ringing in the new year with sparkling cider!

I promise to stay on the board. I love you gals whether I'm getting bigger or smaller! Looks like Dawny was the second person in the world to know!

Well, I'm going to get started on my day. I have a feeling I will need to stop for a nap later. And, this explains why I need a bathroom break every 2 hours!

Merry Christmas!!

OMG Melanie, excellent news honey!!!! I'm so really happy for you, I bet you're well chuffed! That is indeed the perfect Christmas pressie for you and your DH and your families. See, all the practice paid off in the end!

Enjoy your Christmas day and remember you eat for two now!

Take care Mel, I'm really happy for you!!