Hello Feathers .... Whats up with everyone this month? For us Canadians we have Thanksgiving and Halloween ... How will be avoid the temptations? Let's plan now so we don't regret our choices then it snowballs into December and Christmas ...

HI! Happy October. I can smell and feel fall; what a great time of the year!

Ohhh poooeeyy Ilene, I wanted to start the October thread I have thought about the holidays and how hard it will be to stay on tract so Ive made a "plan". As long as I stay completely on plan during the holidays, I am giving myself 2 days out of every month (October, November, and December) to treat myself. I figure the 2 days in comparison to the 28 days on plan wont hurt too much; heck it might even kick any plateaus that might come!

Today is Friday, the beginning of a new month, cooler outside, on plan week, and I am feeling good! Hope everyone is having a good Friday Morning!

Sorry Dianne

Hi everyone! Long time no see. I've still been holding steady, down a few ounces I guess. It's been so hot here that I haven't been eating too poorly, but I also haven't been exercising. But now it's a new month and I really should buckle down. In the past I've always gained some weight during the end of the year indulging in all the treats. But not this year!

In other news, I have a job interview today! Eek. It's for a 'mommy friendly' company and they have childcare on site. We'll see how it goes. I kind of have mixed feelings. On one hand for awhile I've felt very frustrated with being the practically sole caretaker of a defiant, willfull small toddler and on the other hand I really enjoy the freedom of making my own schedule and being with Ainsley during her happy times. Yesterday I asked her what a sheep says and she said 'baa'. Sooo cute! The upside of working is that we'll have more money to put away so we can finally move to a bigger place. We're so on top of each other right now. Anyway, like my DH says, if the job sucks you don't have to take it.

[whisper voice] I'm also afraid that if I go back to work I'll gain weight. In the past I've had issues with all the birthday cake and pastries that offices tend to provide. I will definitely need to read that Beck book before I start. I've ordered it from the library! [/whisper voice]

Happy October!
Today is the most perfect fall day here in Tennessee--couldn't have gotten a better one if I had hand-picked the weather. Clear skies, a bit of breeze but not too cool, and bright sunshine. I went running outside for 3.1 miles. Rather tricky now that my ipod is officially dead (someone left a puddle in the little thing on the treadmill where you stick your ipod the other day, and I'm pretty sure it got water-logged). But even though I didn't time it, I FELT good--the last lap (.8 mile) was pretty tricky, but I ran into my old RA on my first lap (she was back for homecoming, and she was a runner in high school and used to do things like run for 9 miles for "fun" on Saturdays) and she yelled "good job!" as I passed. MAJOR NSV/encouragement for me! To hear a runner tell me I'm doing good is so exciting!
Alright, so now I need to buckle down and get this paper done/research accomplished/reading done/presentation finished/whatever else that I can't remember!

Hello ladies - so sorry that I have been AWOL. Been settling into my new job.

Weight has crept up a little. I'm hovering at the mo between 125-126. TOM has reared it's ugly head.

I have rejoined the gym last week and have written out a 4 week plan for Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I love plans So far 1 week done!

Really want to reach 122 by November, if I could reach 120 obviously that would be great.

Dianne - yes PLANS, how can we fail if we have a plan!
ainsleymom - I know what you mean, I loved having the freedom and the time as a student to make myself meals which were very nutritionally precise. However, I have been snacking less, so there are pros and cons. I hope the interview went well!
oneoftwelve - congrats on the stamina! running 3 miles is a figment of my wildest dreams.

October is my second favorite month! Though in my part of Japan leaves don't turn until late November or so, the weather is cooler and there's always an excellent Halloween party at the end of the month. Fall always makes me so homesick for upstate NY though - cider donuts and driving through the mountains and pumpkin patches.

I just woke up and feel fantastic - last night I had CRAZY cravings for ice cream that didn't go away, but I held fast and didn't do it (which is impressive for me). I'd been whining about lack of progress but I weighed myself this morning and it seems I've gone from 61.0 all week to about 60.5, so about 1 pound. I ate around 1000-1100 yesterday which is a bit low (I was factoring in room for the ice cream...) and unfortunately I didn't work out.

That'll change though - planning a mountain hike to Mt. Hiko either today or tomorrow, which is the tallest mountain in the prefecture. It will be my first proper mountain hike, so I'm lucky my friend I'm going with is a trained EMT and a Southern gentleman! On the day I don't hike, I'll run. No sweat!

Ainselymom - Ive been wondering where you were! Hope your job interview went well today. And congrats for staying on track with your diet!

Oneoftwelve - I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Tennessee! Ive heard its so beautiful there. I cant even imagine what its like in the fall!

Dora - Plans make it so much easier for me to stay on track. If I think of the big picture I get overwhelmed; so I take it one small plan at a time..

Sooooooooooo this is my first NON-alcohol weekend on my "plan". I am not an alcoholic or anything but it's very hard for me to stay in and not go grab a drink with friends. Man o man what to do tonight? Oh well, I am letting myself drink for my sisters 25th birthday at the end of October and on Halloween! I think I can tough it out 4 weeks. Oh but it will be a challenge for me when I cant lean on food for comfort. Eeekk!

HOpe everyone is having a fabulous Friday!!

Happy October Feathers! I just love October. <3

I am having a stressful day today and feeling pretty gross. My husband is off today and he suggested that we have a "day off" so that we could go have breakfast together. Sounded ok...I figured I'd just move my window to early in the day and then have a longer fast period but like it always does, it snowballed into a whole day of binge eating. And now i'm in my normal window I'm hungrier than I have been all day. I was down to 127 this morning but I have lost all hope that I'll see that number in the next few days.

On the upside, I keep running into people who I haven't seen lately and they always say "Sorry, I didn't recognize you. You look good!" Maybe that's an upside but it always stings a little too. I haven't been very heavy since 2008 (and didn't live in this state when I was at my heaviest) so I'm certain they're remembering me postpartum. Duh!

We are a lively bunch today!

Ainsleymom, good to see you! Hope the interview went well. Childcare onsite sounds awesome. I agree with your mixed feelings -- while some days I think, "OH MY GOD I NEED A JOB!!!!" on most days I cherish my flexibility, my two hours at the gym, etc.

Oneoftwelve, I also had a great run on this beautiful fall day. I was on total autopilot and my brain just hummed along. All these thoughts I've had banging around just sort of smooooothed themselves out to the beat of my running feet. I wished I could bottle the feeling of a great run so I could open it up and take a whiff of it on the days when I don't want to go.

Dora, a new job can really throw off your routine. Do you like your job? Since I finished my training I don't have an exercise plan -- I need to sort one out this weekend. I like plans, too!

Krampus, that picture is beautiful! Oh I have Japan envy. Can you send a pic of vending machines when you get a chance?

Chelsey, can't you go out and just drink diet coke or club soda with lime? Do you and your friends do a designated driver system? No, it's not quite as fun -- but you don't have to stay home, do you? I guess it depends on how much everyone is drinking tho... I was the only sober person at the New Year's party we went to last year. Everyone else was walking home or staying over with the hosts. Even my husband was drunk (rare). By 2 am I was over it!

Changed, I'm sorry you had a rough day. Try to enjoy the compliments without thinking about the past -- revel in your present!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I agree with the bottling idea, same7! We could patent it together and be millionaires!
I had an amazing breakfast this morning--Greek yogurt with a packet of Splenda, a cup of frozen blueberries, and a medium sweet potato with cinnamon! My friends here at school think I'm crazy. Refusing the junk isn't hard (I'm just not that tempted anymore), but I hate it when people bake and then try to give me something and I don't eat it. Thus, I've got a lovely pieces of pumpkin-chocolate-chip bread that I need to give away, just like I gave away the dove chocolate my RA left outside my door for me and the muffins my friends baked a few weeks ago. . .sigh. I just don't like that our culture is so inundated with junk food that I feel antisocial for doing the right thing.

Changed -- It is so hard when we get derailed and feel hungrier than ever because of it... Hang in there and do the fast today, if that's possible. I've gotten to like fasting a lot, it helps keep me on track, I'm doing a fast today because unlike Dianne I don't have the willpower to go without drinking for a whole month , not that I'm an alcoholic either but come Friday night DH, specially when it's the first weekend after an "on-call" week, he works for the gas company and every 3-5 weeks he's on-call...We like to go out to our favourite bar, we walk there and back, it's a nice 20 minute walk, so we did last night, we had fun and it was a gorgeous Fall evening... I love the Fall too....

Ainsleysmom -- How did the interview go? I stayed home with the kiddies too when they were little, they are 20 and 22 now, it flies by soooooo fast, in the blink of an eye they are adults.... Unlike you gals I never wanted to work I just loved staying home with the kids, although we were never home we gallivanted all over the place, it was fun.... Those were the days when I would get up at 5am to get to the gym before DH left for work at 7:30....


I don't have much of a workout plan these days either... I run, I go to the gym do either upper or lower body à la Body for Life style, then I'm outta there... I like BFL it's a quick 30 min workout, I'm in and out of the gym quickly, if I don't get gabbing with someone that is

Today, no run, no gym, just housework although I did a lot of it yesterday, I just need to vacuum today and wash the kitchen floor ... Tonight we get together with my B and SIL with wine of course hey what can I say love my wine ...

Tips for the holidays

How I deal with the Thanksgiving meal: load up half my plate with salad/greens and take a strictly healthy portion of protein and carbs. Then eat really slowly.

My family usually goes back for seconds so if I can finish when they finish, I'm not tempted to have seconds myself!

Any tips for dealing with appetizers/desert???

- nice pic by the way, krampus, thanks for posting it.

Vending machines for Amy! These are near my house. Not all are pictured but there are 8 there, including 2 cigarette vending machines, a condom vending machine and one that used to have beer in it! Also, my paler-than-death manfriend.



I can't say this weekend was a model for healthy eating, but it was far better than previous weekends and I had a wonderful time with some great people. It was definitely the laziest weekend I've had...today I spent the whole day lounging around my friend's apartment with my brain turned off, and it was fantastic!

hello! Sorry I'm sort of invading this thread and not really contributing much but I'm new here and just wanted to say hello and hopefully get more involved

I'm in the UK so the only thing "exciting" in October is Halloween but thank goodness it's more common to give out monkey nuts and oranges than candy here!