You all sound like you'll be having fun! I'm making Roast Chicken in my Ron Poppeil Showtime Rotisserie tomorrow. I'm serving mashed potatoes (FF sour cream and some Smart Balance Margarine), salad, and broccoli.

Set it and forget it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S to all of you,

Tomorrow is the day I am going to go back on program. I haven't felt that good being out of control, however, now the parties are over for another year! We had a bowling bash and they served a buffet. They didn't serve dessert which was fine with me.

My DH and I are just going to stay at home and probably go to bed early as we always do. The weather in Phoenix is cool but no snow or rain. We never get snow but we have had some rain lately.

Hopefully together we can attain any goals we set for ourselves.

Take care,
Nita

Happy New Year, everyone! I've been dreaming about what might be for me by this time next year! If my calculations ar correct I could be down between 75-100 pounds. Wouldn't that be something to celebrate! I've just got to stay motivated. That has always been my problem. I counting on all of your friendship to keep me going!

My Leader said something on Thursday night that really stuck with me. She told the story of a Woman who was feeling overwhelmed. I think she might have told the story for me because I have so much to lose. The Woman kept telling her Leader she didn't know how she could ever lose 50 pounds.....it was just too much. The Leader asked her if she could lose 10 pounds. Of course, the Woman said yes. Then the Leader said, "Well, then all you have to do is lose 10 pounds 5 times"! You know that I've heard this type of thing before and we all know that setting small goals helps but it was really empowering to hear it again.

So for all of us...no matter how much we have to lose, we should break it up into small manageable pieces. Let's forget the holidays and move on with a fresh clean slate.

Baby steps!!

If I can feel good about myself, and feel like I'm a healthier me by this time next year, I will count it as a success.

My only sister passed away two years ago ... and she was my age. Now I feel like the pressure is on (I know that might sound dumb) because I'm now the oldest daughter. I feel like every ache and pain is an indication that I have something bad. I need to feel good about being alive and not concentrate on every little (false) indication that I'm terminal!!! That might not make sense to someone who has never lost a sister, and maybe I need professional help, but I just can't help but dwell on that sort of thing.

Oh well! Didn't mean to be a downer on this perfect day for a new start!! I hope everyone has a great Saturday, and great New Year's Day, and that it's a time for reflection and renewal.

Happy New Year's everyone!!

Vicki....I like that.......wipe the slate clean again and also the fact of making mini goals. When we break down what we want to loose into small beatable goals it is much easier. Just like starting quilting......a block at a time. So my blackboard is clean and I have a mini goal to achieve.

Kathy, holidays always especially make us think of people in our lives that we have lost who were close to us. It makes us realize to live each day to the fullest. And yes, we will have those days when we think......man oh man what is that pain or ache from. It is human nature. Being able to talk about it is therapy in its own way. I am sure you have a great support system in your family and maybe they are thinking the same as you right now. Remember the good memories, they are precious to hold onto to.

Here is to 2005......may we welcome the new challenges which are opportunities to succeed!

Well Good Morning ALL and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I think I missed it though I can hardly believe how sick I was, still am a bit better because here I am UP and atta bed at the keyboard I have been sick since Tuesday, can you believe that!!! Although I went to work right till Wed., but the BIG BOSS told me Wed afternoon, " don't want to see you here tomorrow or Friday" in a loving way of course I was soooo sick. I had some kind of virus or flu or bad cold, with every symtom you can think of. What's weird now is that I STILL don't have my taste buds back. I can't taste anything.
You all seem to be doing well and we are remaining strong. I will say being sick has it's perks...I am down 5 lbs from my last weigh in. So now I am back where I was @ 132....before my screw ups I was 137. I couldn't do Core 100% though.
NITA I want to say "it's good to see you back here again" I hope we at this board will keep you motiviated and focused.
KATHY I soooo 'here you' I have not lost my sister but she has been a breast cancer survioror these past 9 years and everyday I worry about her. She is older than me but you know what that doesn't matter. However I did lose a brother and Frannie is right, this time of the year we think of all our loved ones......Christmas is very hard because none of my family is here and my mother died on Christmas Day a few years ago, so I get to feeling pretty sad. I dwell on the same things you mentioned all the time, and wonder................
'what the heck is my problem' and then I go through what I call my "What's It All About Alfie" mode. I have already thought, in my sick bed, geez another year to get older!! ughh....now that is something I can't deal with, but my husband tells me it beats the alternative.
VICKIE You are going to have a GREAT year!!! You are motiviated, you are strong, and you are determined!!! And you are our resident And WE are ALL here for you too!! I too love the "lose 10 lbs 5 times" that is so cool!! and doable, as opposed to thinking the other way. Looking at it this way seems to make it easier and attainable. We all should use this theory.
FRANNIE I like your way of thinking.....the blackboard is clean. We all can do that, and start a new. It's behind us now and it really is time to move forward. This is a good board here and I missed all of you these past several days. Just reading every ones' post is motivation in itself.
If I have missed anyone I'm sorry but I want to wish ALL of you the best in our weight loss journeys. We can do this, you know!!
Talk with you all later.......Linda

Hi All,

Just a quick message to let you know I am reading your posts and they sure are motivating. I haven't been feeling too well these last couple of days so I can relate to those of you who have been sick as well. And I really like "wiping the slate clean." I also appreciate setting small goals because in the end they will become large!

Keep up the good work ladies and I will talk to you soon!

Nita

Oh Kathy, I'm so sorry to hear about your loss of your Sister. I have two older Sisters and it is unthinkable to consider losing one of them. It is COMPLETELY normal for you to think about her and to worry about yourself, especially if she died from something that could be genetic or familial. I lost my fiance two weeks before Christmas in 1986 and I was truly paralyzed for many years, especially at Christmastime. Grief takes time and everyone goes through it at their own pace. Only you can decide if you need help or not. In my Dad's family all the men, including his brothers died before the age of 58. My Dad lived the longest. His younger brother was completely freaked out for most of his life thinking that he wouldn't live past 58. He just celebrated his 79th birthday and he said that he's sorry he spent so much time worrying about it. I think you are living right. You're exercising and eating well. The only other thing you can do is be vigilant about your doctors visits and pay attention to, rather than ignore, symptoms. Now, having said all that I am such a worrier that everytime I get a symptom of any kind I'm worrying that it will be something horrible. So have we convinced you yet that you are normal to be feeling the way you are?!

Frannie, I think you're right. Sometimes shedding light on a fear by talking about it can make it seem not so scarey any more. Life is precious and we do need to celebrate it. Since losing my fiance and my Mother and Father at a young age, I no longer take anything for granted. I'm pretty careful to tell all those that I love how much they mean to me on a pretty frequent basis. Hubby and I rarely fight and we tell each other several times a day how much we love each other. He understands my fears! What a great guy....no hubby bashing here!

Linda, we were ready to send out the search parties! You sound so much better. You must have had a MUCH worse version that I did. I still have the cough and headaches but they are pretty mild. Sorry you had to be so sick but the weight loss is a definite perk. Try not to be disappointed if a little comes back once you start eating again. You could be a little dehydrated. Glad to see you back, you're a cheerleader yourself, you know!

Nita, it's always good to hear from you. Hope you feel better soon and come back to share your experiences with us.

January 2 and it may be 60 degrees here in Chicagoland today. That would be a record for us. I guess hubby and I will bring in the Christmas decorations. I'm thinking I'll be taking down the tree tomorrow.

Well, I have no plans for dinners for the next couple of days so I guess I should go work on a grocery list. It seems all I do is plan and cook. I'd be cleaning too but hubby does that for me. I'm thinking white bean chicken chili tonight. Time for me to go out to eat soon though because I've cooked for a couple of days in a row!

I forgot to tell you all about my smoothie experience yesterday. I was starving because I slept through breakfast and I hadn't had enough fruit or milk yet. I was craving SWEET! So in the blender I put a whole banana, 1 cup cold skim, 2 ice cubes and a packet of SF/FF hot chocolate mix. It was SO delicious. It reminded me of those great drinks in the 80's. I used to drink one that was call "Let's monkey around" and it was banana, chocolate, rum, and of course ice cream! I was so satisfied after I drank this and it was all core. Hubby laughed at what is making me happy these days.

BTW, he made a funny joke the other day when he was hugging me. He said his arms are getting longer! It was his silly way of telling me that I'm shrinking. Gotta love that man!

darn, i just wrote a post and my internet went to lala land. grrr

and i just ate a sweat bun.....not thinking about carrots or celery was i. will have to count the points for that..........eeeeeeeeeiiiiiicccccccckkkkkkkkkk

glad everyone is starting to feel better and getting up and around. so far, knock on wood, it has not come to this house yet.

things are getting back to a normal schedule here.....my son got home from quebec last night around 6 and i am not sure what time he went to bed....he got up at 930 to say goodby to his sister and then went back to bed till 12......thank goodness school starts tomorrow. i go back to work on tuesday. am tempted to go in tomorrow just so that i stay out of the fridge.....haha....if it quits raining here i will go for a walk.....

i am going to try that smoothie tomorrow for breakfast. sounds yummy and i dont make smoothies that much. i love the silouette yogurt ones but they are expensive here....

ok, i promise to have core the rest of the day......

cheers

sweat bun..........that is what i need to do in order to get rid of the "sweet" bun.....

what a day

Hello All! Happy New Year! Since I missed my WI the Thurs. before Xmas I went last Thurs. and was down another 2.6 pounds which makes 25 total. New Year's eve I had a couple of warm brownies and a glass of champagne but was back OP the next day. My goal for this year is to get down to 130 which is another 60 pounds but I am committed to doing it. Hope everyone is well. The flu is starting to rear its ugly head around here and we totally lost all of our snow over the holiday and it is 40 degrees here today.

take care
Kathy

Frannie, enjoy your last day of freedom before you return to work! I made another smoothie with the hot chocolate package. Instead of ice and banana, I added a half cup of frozen black cherries. Yum! I pretended it was Black Forest cake. I have a vivid imagination!

Vermont Kathy, Woo Hoo! So you had a loss over the holidays....I am VERY impressed! I hope the flue doesn't get you. I don't know what I have but it is hanging on an on. The dry cough, body aches, and headache are REALLY getting annoying.

Linda, I'm thinking you went back to work today. And....I know you said that Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are crazy days for you. And....I know you were out a couple of days last week so your work is probably backlogged. So...try to not get stressed. You can only do so much. Try not to stress eat. We'd all like to see you keep those "sick" pounds off! Good Luck and we'll here from you later.

Hello all. I just want to say that I have completely thorwn away the last couple of weeks, I had good intentions, but they did not come to fruition. I know I have gained over the holidays AND I am debating on whether to skip weigh-in on Saturday, thus giving me more time to work to get down on the scale. I am so mad at myself, b/c I've gone to my old ways. Please help!

Hi Torrey! Sorry you're struggling. My best advice is to forget about what you did or didn't do and start today with a clean slate. If I were you I would go to my weigh in on Saturday. My personal experience has been that if I don't go back to the weigh in right away....I never go back. Just start back on program today and take it one meal at a time. It will take a couple of days to detox but then you'll be back in the swing of things. It should be real fun in the meeting rooms for the next couple of weeks because they'll be filled with folks who are all energized about starting their weight loss program. This could give you your momentum back.

Good Luck!