Hi Everyone,

I was waiting for inspiration to strike to start up a new thread, but decided to just start it without I'm still doing pretty well, although I haven't been journaling. I will start that today. But I haven't been overeating and I have been getting lots of exercise. We've got 2 1/2 weeks to the new year. Don't know about you folks but I can do a fair amount of damage in a couple of weeks so I swear that I will work at this thing.

Let's do this!

xo
babette

(my DH looked over my shoulder and saw my post the other day, so I am for the time being not posting my weight)

Sorry I haven't been posting much, but I have been busy, busy, busy. It's Christmas time you know.

Anyway I have been doing pretty well in sticking to my program. I do believe that maintaining is harder than losing. The goal is not as well defined.

Christmas time for me is one event after another. Mostly based on eating, and eating that I should not be doing. I can pretty well stay away from the sweet stuff (I am a diet-controlled diabetic and want to continue being one) but the salty stuff like mixed nuts, pretzels, tasty little crackers, and all that is a real temptation. One bite leads to a gazillion more for me. Ad the ad says 'you can't eat just one' and I sure can't. So I have to stop at NONE to stay in control.

So I admonishing myself, as well as anyone else out there, to stick to the program through the holidays, difficult as it may be, so that we can congront 2002 with a happy heart. It will be worth it!!

And waiting to see what develops at my weigh-in tomorrow! We shall see, guys. I've been consistent with exercise all week and semi-consistent in calorie control. Haven't skipped any journaling either. Plan to up my water intake next week as I think that is getting low again. For me there is a relationship between hydration and weight, though I'm not sure what it is. My cravings continue to be abated since I've added meat to my diet, though my ethics suffer.

JoJoJo2: I think you've hit the nail on the head as to why maintaining is very hard ... the goal is not as defined. When maintaining, the results are not dramatic as they were when large amounts of weight started coming off, people never comment on how well we are doing, in fact, they forget we were ever overweight and tend to get irritated by our continued vigilance over our intake. But maintaining is probably the most important part of the weight management journey ... a fact I think sometimes people overlook. They believe if they lose weight, they have solved their problem and they forget that the pounds will come right back on if they return to their former habits. So kudos to you for your continuing steadfastness. It really is worth doing and you are proof.

Babette: Thanks for starting the new thread. You are always inspiring (don't have to wait for anything to strike)! I definetely can do a lot of damage in 2.5 weeks. I'm still hoping to be down, though. I won't be where I planned to be, but in a good place nevertheless.

That's a woo-hoo because I can post (it kept kicking me out last night) and a woo-hoo because I lost three pounds, so that's a net of 1.5 since I set my New Year's goal.

My mom died yesterday and I honored her by continuing to care for my body and ate healthfully and carefully all day and by doing my exercise routine. I will never give up on this journey or on myself.

I know everyone on this board is just as resolute and we will all make it to the Year 2002 in healthy shape and having met our goals to whatever degree is possible in the time allotted.

Hope everyone posts soon!!!!

Crone, I'm so very sorry about your mom. You're right, though, the lesson we should take from every death is to live our lives well. I remember when my dad died i felt as if my connection to the earth had been cut, like I was in a sort-of in-between world and not fully here. It took a while for my world to solidify again. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

I've been going slightly insane trying to get the house in order in time for my MIL's visit, not to mention Christmas and work. I went to WI on Saturday (for which i'm patting myself on the back) wearing a pair of heavy denims. And after eating nachos the night before. I weighed exactly the same as I did the last TWO weigh-ins! So I'm hoping to break on through to the other side this week. I've still not managed to journal but am doing fairly well. Not overeating and getting lots of exercise. Tomorrow IS another day, so i'm going to aim to journal then!

Love to all!

xo
babette

Not sure why I like to say that, but I do!

Having a good eating and exercise day. Work is so slow I am taking a week off to rest from the past few weeks. Not sure if I'll even go back, but maintaining a positive attitude. Calories today are at 1780, exercise was 30 minutes of weights.

Peace to all.

Crone, I'm sorry to hear about your mother's passing. You sound peaceful about it all and I was very touched by the way you honored her. I hope you get some good relaxation time in this week.

Babette, Are you settling into your new house? Do you have a fairly good relationship with your mother-in-law? Will she be staying there? I adore my MIL but it still makes me nervous when she comes over--not too bad though. After all these years I still want to make a good impression!

I'm doing well with exercising. Did 5 miles on the treadmill today walking AND jogging. I felt so energetic afterwards that I did some aerobic housecleaning too! I still want to have a fabulous spa vacation over the holidays, I have to plan it all out though. My food scene is okay; maybe a touch more indulging in the Xmas goodies than I'd like but nothing crazy.

I had a food memory yesterday, a flashback! Several years ago, a friend comes over with a cheesecake with the express purpose of the 2 of us sitting down and eating until it was gone. And we did!!!! At the time it seemed a perfectly reasonable way to socialize. Now the memory of it is horrifying!!!! [And I wonder why I used to be overweight! ]

Too tired to write. That rhymes, I know. So?

A medium eating day ... not great but not terrible. Calories at 2400 but in healthy gunk, no junk!

Taking a day off exercise. Testing some resting.

Eydie: Five miles on the treadmill, wow, you're no slouch. Then you got off the couch and aerobicized the house! You know that's the way to go!

No more rhyme, no time.

Hi Gang! Weighed in on Tues., and lost .6 lbs., can you believe it? Then we had a WW pot luck lunch (Mostly non-foods....desserts, dips, and the like), I enjoyed the lovely huge assortment of exotic fruits, and it was a good time....lots of jello type desserts, with Dreamwhip, and Cheesecakes....

My husband has had foot surgery this wk., and he's been sprung from hospital today - so I won't be running up there. The recuperation time will be lllloooonnnnnggggg, so I'm thinking of busting out tomorrow aft. and seeing Lord of the Rings....before the kids hit the theatres and Xmas holidays.

Later...and I'm "on program" as they say at WW, and thinking of joining TOPS after Xmas, they are coming to the senior centre where I do Yoga, any program works if you work it - and I can save some $$$$$....does TOPS weigh you? Can't remember (it's been years since the last time I went there).

... This thread's a bit dead!

Where'd everybody go? It makes me feel low.

Ok, I won't rhyme this time, Kermie! Greetings. Sounds like you're right on track for the new year. I've never used TOPS personally, but maybe they have a website. I've known a lot of people who've been helped by this group.

I completely agree with you: Any program works if you work it!

I've had a tough week and fallen away from exercising, so to get it back I've declared a Leslie Sansone Challenge with myself. Since I own about 20 LS tapes and since some haven't been used for awhile, I've made it my goal to use at least one (if not more) each day until New Year's. That way if the tapes disintegrate next year, I've at least had the good of them one more time.

Does anyone else have a personal last-ditch fitness-related challenge they are doing before 2002?

Come out and play, what'd ya say?

I'll stop rhym-in' if you'all'l chime-in!

Sorry about your mother, Crone. Losing a loved one is difficult at any time, but perhaps even more so at this time of year.

We lost our oldest son four years ago, and Christmas sure brings out the happy memories and also the sad thoughts. But life goes on. Basically the happy memories outweigh the sad thoughts, and that is all to the good.

Remember this time last year, when we were working at the 'Christmas Lites' thread? Wonder what ever happened to so many of those posters. Some sure disappeared into cyberspace, didn't they? Hope that their weight-loss efforts are working out for them.

As another year draws to a close we can ponder on the sadnesses of this past year - the horrific loss of life on September 11, the wars and rumors of wars worldwide, and the general difficulties of life. Why, for goodness' sake, do so many of us have eating disorders of some type in this world of plenty? Why do we focus on the down side of life, and fail to focus on that little baby born in Bethlehem so long ago?

And yet, there is love in the world, and I receive an abundance of it from family and friends. And basically I am happy, mostly.

I do sound mournful, don't I? I think I will go light a candle in my window as a symbol of hope, and peace, and joy of this blessed season.

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone, and eat healthily.

NOT!

But I'm going into a not-posting status for awhile. Hope everyone is ok out there and resting up for another challenge ... or has met all of their goals and challenges are no longer needed!

JoJoJo2: You do not sound mournful, you seem an introspective and inspiring person. I am sorry for the loss of your son and know it is still very difficult for you.

I'm not sure either why we tend to focus on the down side of life ... there's a lot of it, but a lot of joy, fun and contentment to be found also, even at the darkest times. I've found, as maybe you have, that weight management is an integral part of what I need in order to have even a glimmer of hope that I can find the joy of life or deal with its sadness. I believe the quality of my life when I was an obese person was simply not acceptable in any way. Oddly, it was the weight loss that led to my eventual freedom from eating disorders.

Not that life is so great right now, but it'll get better, so I need to keep on a steady course. Life is short and I can choose to live it with 100 extra pounds (it'd be easy to get them back) or just not go there again. And to not go there again, I need to continue to play the weight monitoring, eating carefully, exercising, streaking-behavioral game until I am 100 years old. Maybe then I'll give up.

But not today!