Well looks like our nice sunny weather didnt' last, the rain is coming and slowly arriving!!! I have really enjoyed the nice weather that we have had and it has really put me in the mood for spring BUT I really want a nice big snow too!

So how has everyone's week gone? I am slowly discovering foods/meals that make my weight fluate. I believe its due to the salt content of these meals. Had Mexican with my mom for lunch yesterday and didn't do too bad and had this chicken soup with a tad of this and that in it and well yesterday morning I was weighing in at 247 and today its 252!!! GEEZ, no way I ate enough or even a fraction of enough to gain 5 lbs over night!!! LOL!!!!! So lots of water for me today and I am going to really behave the rest of the week. I have been limiting myself to eating out one day a week and thats it and if it wasn't for that one day a week being with my mom, I wouldn't do it at all.

How is everyone elses week going? Anyone tried any new recipes? Anyone else do a midweek preview with the scale?!?

OK so now we got several of our LL folks back who will be our next victim to call? I am trying my hardest to get them all back!! I would love to call Becky but I have lost her # and she didn't put it in our address book! UGH!!! What about Julianna? She was having a really hard time and was going through some depression so I am sure she could use some of our LL loving!! I actually tried to call her last week and she wasn't home. Anyone heard anything from Karen C????? She was close to her goal when she left, wonder how she is doing?

OK I am off to get in the shower, the AC/heating guy is coming sometime so I dont' want to still be in my jammies when he comes!!

Happy Losing everyone!!

Good morning Laurie! My week is going pretty well so far. Food has been right on the money as far as choices go. Timing (as usual) could use some help. And water - I have not been drinking NEAR enough water. Only about 48 oz per day. Gotta concentrate on that!

Today is yet another SUPER busy day. In a few minutes I will get DH up and washed and dressed. Then drop him at work, I'll go to the office for a few hours, then back to pick up hubby from work. He has therapy at 3 pm, Daughter has dance at 5 pm. Don't know where dinner will fit in or what it will be, but I'll work on it!

While DH is in the therapy pool, I will hit the treadmill for 30 min. 3 mph at an incline of 3.5 - it burns about 150 calories for me. Not nearly as long as it should be, but better than nothing!!

I sneaked a peek this morning, and I was down a pound! Gotta stay focused now to keep the loss or even build on it!

How is everyone else doing today? What are your plans? Been drinking that water!!!

TTFN- Sharon

I can't peek at the scale. I have issues (BIG surprise there, LOL). I get obsessive so I hide my scale during the week and only dig it out on Sunday mornings. BUT! I can tell you that I am sitting here in button fly jeans that I tried to wear the week between CHristmas and New Years and couldn't get them over my hips... so THAT is good news for me.

Aside from my ten minutes or so of Tai Chi I am not exercising. I plan to add that in after I get on a roll here. Clearly the plan is designed to work without the exercise so I figure I will milk it as long as I can and when I plateau I can add it in in small incriments. The truth is that exercise exhausts me. I know it is supposed to give me energy - but I assure you - I go for a walk and I come back and my muscles crap out on me. It is generally considered to be part of whatever autoimmune problem I have - but since "they" can't figure out which one I have... we don't know for sure. I am actively looking for a new TaiChi school. Since I have moved I haven't had direction and I really need it. It is so hard to find the real deal with this particular martial art. But I shall keep looking.

ANyway - time to get back to work -

Chin up gals - have a succssful day!

Yes, Laurie that has to be SALT....we had Chinese last night and with this cold I wasn't really hungry so I ate about 1/4 of the food and 1/3 of the soup and I am up 1/2 lb!!! Yes, I sneaked a peak....

I have learned if I am going to eat Chinese I do it early in the week now, way before WI.

Sharon, a 1/2 hr on the treadmill is a lot, don't put yourself down. Your getting in the exercise and that is so important, you will see the rewards shortly...look down 1 lb already!!

Diasy congrats on getting into those jeans!!! Way to go..... Hey 10 min. is 10min. do the best you can and maybe you can up that to 15 soon. Take baby steps when you need too.

It is very sunny here and temp to be in the high 70's so I will sit out in the sun with my dog today and try to help speed up getting rid of this cold, I actually think I am better today which is good because I need to get to the grocery.

Have a good one ...

Phyllis

I've been drinking water and eating only healthy food. I wanted to see how I was doing before dinner tonight at nice restaurant where restraint may be difficult... another 3 pounds! It's certainly providing me with incentive not to order dessert tonight! Yay!

Otherwise, the weather here is also gray. Yesterday we had "partly cloudy" for a few hours- ooh! The great thing about being on the lake is that I get to watch the fog roll in in the morning. It's beautiful, despite the yucky weather.

I'm still trying to work the gym into my schedule. Maybe on the weekend? I keep telling myself to wait until the New Years' Resolution people have petered out so the place isn't so crowded... ah, rationalization.

Good luck to everyone today!

I am doing good so far - a whole hour into my day Despite the fact I overslept and the girls had 20 minutes to be ready and out the door for school and the fact I needed a canoe to get to the barn to feed the horses! It still is raining and suppose to all week! Phyllis, send some of the sunshine here! January tends to be our wettest month and I think we are making up for the last 2 "dry" ones! There are flood warnings on most of the rivers. WET & YUCK!
Kids are sleeping in a bit so I am enjoying the quiet! Have a wonderful day everyone!
Hey, I even got another 35 minutes in on my elliptical last night! 2 in a row - gonna shoot for 5!

Down to 170.5 this morning - 1 lb, 1 oz to go before I break the 170 barrier! I am pretty sure I will do that this weekend. I'm on day 2 of Sonoma Diet & will likely lose quickly this week.

How about we write letters to those original gals who have not returned to us? We have their addresses - we pick one a week & everyone send them a letter. Want to start with Becky?

Lynn

Yes lets do that!

OK Lynn so you like the Sonoma Diet.....how is it different???

You know you have to fill us in....

Phyllis

Hi everyone,

It looks like you are all doing well! I was ok until last night. We went to have Thai food and I pigged out. YUM!!! It was great. But, I am back on track again today!!!!

Another member of the JC website wrote about this article he saw and I liked it so I thought I would post it here:

"The weight loss industry is in the midst of the annual January advertising blitz -- running ads for fitness centers and weight loss products everywhere you look. You'd think that with all these marvelous products and workout facilities available to people, that no one would be overweight. With the billions of dollars spent every year on weight loss, why are so many people still carrying around that excess fat?

The answer is that most of them lack consistency in their weight loss efforts. They have the best of intentions. Come January 2nd, they join the fitness club, they buy the diet shakes, they commit to the program and get all motivated. But usually, before mid-February, most people have fallen off the wagon and back into the same old routine that got them overweight in the first place. The fitness centers know this -- that's why they can oversell their memberships. They know that the majority of people will use the facilities for a few weeks and then quit coming on a regular basis.

The reason so many people fail, at weight loss and at other endeavors, is lack of consistent effort. And conversely, if you look at the enduringly successful people in the world, most of them have a couple of things in common -- desire and consistent effort.

Effort, by very definition, is not easy. It's relatively easy to get all fired up on New Year's Day, or to get motivated by a new business opportunity. But after a few days, the initial excitement wears off and you're left with the need for effort. That's where most people drop out. The excitement is easy, the effort is not.

However, it is the effort, applied consistently over the long haul, that makes the difference.

-- Ralph Marston"

That is so true Anita!!!

With JC 3-hr-diet, you can eat everything - just need to watch timing & portion control.

With Sonoma, don't need to watch timing, do need to watch what you eat and how much.

Foods are same as Mediterranean - veggies, nuts, fish/poultry/meat, olive oil, whole grains.

Lynn--
What is the Sonoma Diet?

Sorry Lynn, I didn't see your post on describing the diet. Nevermind!

To Anita's article:

I have been avoiding my gym until the "Resolutioners" move on. Sad that even though I struggle, I automatically trust that so many will fail.

I lost 20 pounds a few years ago on the Discovery Channel Health Body Challenge. I think it starts mid-January. Check the website because you can get a free 8-week membership to Bally Total Fitness if you register. They have online diet journals, meal plans and exercise logs, too.

If you were thinking of trying a class or a gym, it's worth checking out. The first year, I just went the 8 weeks and the second year I actually joined. Now, I just need to go!