Hey everyone! For those of you who don't know me, since I've been in and out of these parts the past few months. I'm the moderator of 20-somethings. If you need anything let me know.

For those of you that do know me.... I miss you guys!

On another note, my new treadmill is getting delivered today while I'm at work. I get to come home to a nice present to test out before i actually purchase it. I'm so excited!

Down another pound... if I do really well this week, maybe I can hit my Thanksiving goal next weigh-in! It's exciting to think that a month and a half ago I was feeling so depressed about my weight, and now to have the very real possibility of going past my goal.. it's fun!

Boyfriend got me a dieter's cookbook that has lots of yummy-looking recipes. Some of them are stuff we'd both like, and some more are things that I can make, portion out, and then freeze for myself. Food makes Fae happy.

Gah, the weather looks icky today, and I'm working a super-long shift (1-10) so there really isn't a possibility of workout out... ahh, the joys of working on my feet. *sighs*

Happy Monday, ladies!

trns - Don't abandon me! *clings* Hehe. And have fun with the treadmill. If I had the money (and the room!) I would so get one. Let us know how it goes!

trnsfrmnreplace: Good to know, and nice to meet you!

fae: Good for you on the loss! What is the name of the book?

Well, I'm about to shoot off to work, on foot, in 8ft of snow, uphill both ways... You know how it is haha. But it's so windy out that I can actually hear the wind whistling in my doorway, and we have weather stripping! I guess I've really got being Canadian cut out for me, eh? Amanda knows how I feel! Ontario + Northern Alberta = The same, damn cold!

Anyway, hope you're all having a good day!

trns- congrats on the treadmill. That's really cool that you get to test it out. What kind is it?

Fae- You are SO close! You will get there! What happens when you hit your goal?

I did really well over the weekend. we ate out a couple of times due to out of town company, but I managed to workout/run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm trying to get back into a regular schedule and it's going well. I can't believe Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I'm wokring that morning, so I won't be hovering around the kitchen all day. We are just having a quiet holiday, just the two of us. I despertely want t turkey, but I don't know about leaving it up to Ross. That just spells danger to me. Any of you ladies cooking?

Ok girlies, jumping back into the chat. I am finally moved and reunited with the hubby YAY! Looking to get back in the saddle and tackle these stress lbs that seem to want to stay through the holidays. NO NO NO I won't let them , I refuse!

maja - Wooohooo on the treadmill. It really is so convenient having one at home, no excuses right!?! We miss you too hun! How is the job going, still loving it?

Fae - Yay on the lb keep up the great work. I am so not hitting my Thanksgiving goal but glad someone might lol.

martiniforme - We haven't met, nice to meet you

Jen - Not cooking, just eating. I know what you mean about men and turkeys...what a combination. My hubby filled his with beer a couple of years ago tastes pretty good but do we really NEED to add more calories into Thanksgiving? Im jealous of your running!

Man, I've been gone awhile....lots has happened. I got a phone call on Thursday I guess, and found out the my best friend had a heart attack...he's only 34! So that took me for a HUGE loop. I finally got to talk to him today, and he's got terrible blood pressure 167/118 or something crazy like that, his cholestoral is through the roof along with his high sugars. He's basically a walking time bomb! He's been put on a restrictive diet, medications, nothing seems to have worked to bring his levels to normal. It's really freaked me out, because we're so close! I got off the phone today with him and just sat for an hour or so crying because the reality of his health scares me, that the next phonecall could be telling me worse news then "he had a heart attack", if you know what I mean, and I don't know what I'd do if that happened!

Also, my hubby and I seperated this past week. Things were getting really bad, and I was getting pretty damaged by him emotionally, and finally made the decision that I didn't deserve to be treated like that anymore. So that's taken alot of my time and energy these days....my eating has been horrible with all of this, but I have been getting my walking in still....Hopefully I'll get back to program soon...

I kind of cook, I use the George Foreman to make chicken and steak and also make rice and pasta.

Anyone else getting a little nervous about the upcoming holidays...?

I was VERY good this weekend I am proud of myself. It has been 1 week and 1 day since i last binged.

stephiewilliams: Thanks, you, too!

amanda: I sent you a PM <3

cookiemonster: I am a huge fan of the slow cooker. My MIL just got me a great book of slowcooker low-cal meals. Each "serving" (about 1 cup) is between 170-200 cals. WOO WOO! If anyone wants info on the slow cooker recipe book, let me know!

~Mande

Thanks Mande! And I'd like info on that cookbook if you don't mind! Sounds like a keeper to me!

Oh, man, it's awesome! There were a ton of things in there that even DF found appetizing, and usually I'm cooking a separate meal for him at night (I cook several meals in one day, and freeze 'em!).

Name: PreventionGuide SlowCooker Recipes (Fall Edition).
Also, if you go to www.prevention.com, there is a ton of great information as well as recipes for fat free or low cal meals. Also features recipes for some of the popular diets, like South Beach. Being a calorie counter, and seeing those low cals per serving makes me super excited, haha.
The website also has articles published by psychologists and various physicians geared toward the emotional aspect of eating, weight, and weight loss.
This is not a promo though, just a website that I love .

So exciting about the new treadmill... Hopefully it'll get its wear! And hopefully you're love and it want to keep it... I remember ya, and miss ya!

I'm off and on about the working out, I'm just trying to get some cardio in this week and really make it a prority for me, along with all the work I have to do up until Thanksgiving, and I'm hoping that after Thanksigiving I can again start the running program... I'm feeling very driven this week... GOOD THING

Maja and Stephie- I've missed you guys! It has been a noticeable absence! I hope all is well with both of you.

CanadianMickey- I'm so sorry to hear about your separation, but if it's healthier for you emotionally, I'm glad. Congratulations on being so brave! I hope your friend is doing well with his recovery.

Fae- good job on the pound! I'm too scared to weigh myself, I'm just hoping all of the exercise will keep me stable through the holidays.

Mande- thanks for the tip about the slow cooker recipes. I always look for new things to try in the crockpot! I like to make stuff and freeze it in individual portions so it's easily portable!

CookieMonster- yeah, I'm also a little nervous about the holiday eating season... maintenance is king?

Jen- Does your oven have a timer? You might be able to get your bird in the oven and have it set to come on a little closer to when you'll get home... the responsibility on your man would be lessened substantially, I think!

I hope everyone is having/will continue to have a fabulous week! Keep up all of those good habits that I'm so envious of (you know, self control)!!! You girls rock!

A little off the topic of weightloss, but I figured if anywhere, this was a great place to share.

So, when I'm reading all these forums, I'm doing it on an older laptop, kind of heavy, a bit clunky, and the heatsink (even though we've applied the thermal compound a gazillion times) keeps overheating, and my laptop will shut down on me without any warning.

Well, today I was in the middle of looking up some more recipes for my low-cal recipe book I'm putting together for myself, and it shutdown on me. I just kind of sighed, waited a couple minutes, then turned it back on. On top of that, I turned on our industrial fan to help cool it down (meanwhile cooling DF and I down to the point of sweaters! LOL).

Well, DF just watched this whole time. I know he wishes that I could afford to buy a new laptop, but it's just not in my budget. Suddenly he asks me, "If I were to give you your Christmas present early, you have to promise not to tell my family. They are really excited to see how surprised you are at Christmas." I thought to myself, yeah, I can keep a secret. A gift early is always great!

Between the 2 of us, we're notorious for not being able to keep gifts under wraps. Like last year he ended up giving me my Christmas present a month early then as well, hehe.

Well, he comes downstairs, gets me to open it, and there is a BRAND NEW LAPTOP!!!! He had made payments on it for the last several months, and made the final payment on it last week, and brought it home from Calgary on a weekly work trip. I couldn't believe it! And now, here I am, on my new laptop, AND ITS NOT OVERHEATING!

I'm big on gaming, so this is an added bonus. My old laptop was a used one, but he had extra ram and a stronger video card put in to this one, and it's fabulous

Now... what to get him? I got him an XBox 360 for his bday, so I'm not really wanting to get him a new gaming system. But I know he wants electronics.

Soo...
He's a huge gamer, and he loves electronics. Ideas?

Martiniforme- I hear the PS3 is like the holy grail of gaming systems right now. That is so sweet that he just couldn't wait! I don't know if he likes music, but I got DB the limited edition red 4G iPod nano. They are brand new and really cool. I almost didn't give it to him! I dunno, boys are so hard to shop for. It was expensive, but it was also the only thing I heard him say he wanted. Does he need stuff for his xbox? Games? memory cards? controllers? I know they aren't big sticket stuff. What else is he into?

ABakerchick- I've been going blind trying to figure this out, but what does the tshirt in your av say? Even though I leave at 6 am that morning, I could put the bird in before I go. Will just have to plan that out. I just had these visions of coming home to find Ross dancing around the living room with a turkey on his head. Stranger things have happened, I guess.

Canadian Mickey- I'm so sorry to hear that you are seperated. I imagine it's a tough time. I think we all lose track of eating when stuff like that happens. I'm sorry about your friend, too! It's always a shock when that happens at such a young age. Hopefully you can use your good habits to help him recover. Anyway, you know we are all here for ya!

I hav a feeling I'm going to need a serious kick in the butt today! There is rain and snow in the forecast and that always spells b-u-m for me.

Amanda- I'm so sorry to hear about the tough time you're going through too. I hope everything turns out ok. (And 34?! is so young for a heart attack. Jeez..)

Martini- Do ya'll already have DDR? I haven't played, but I hear its tons of fun and pretty good exercise. And he sounds like such a sweetie-pie.

trns- Yay for new workout toys! Have fun and work that tootsie off!

jen- I do a lot of the cooking for my family, both Thanksgiving and regular. I don't do the turkey but I usually do 2-3 side dishes/appetizers, a salad, and a dessert. We spend T-day with my father's side and there's 14 of us, so it's a lotta cooking! (It's be worse if we spent it with my mothers though, there's 23 of us on that side and we'd need a MASSIVE vat of wine. I love them dearly, but they could drink a sailor or a frat boy right under the table.)

Anyhoo, I have a small NSV to report. My mother and I were up visiting the aforementioned family who live up in NoVa, near Leesburg. We ended up hitting the outlet mall; I think it's called Potomic Mills, any of you NoVa girls familiar with it? Yup, it's amazing! I fit into the Gap larges now instead of XL!! Only on top, I didn't have time to try on bottoms, but still. Yay for me!!