linda, all i know is i use regular yellow cornmeal and it works. the other might be better, though. what do the rest of you think about this?

Time to catch up! Sorry I can't catch up on everything and everyone...

Sandra, thanks for missing me! ;) You are too sweet. I hope that pt can get you good and ready for that big weekend event. You have been doing so well! I am so impressed by your determination. Did the rest of your week go better? Burley mountain woman!! :lol:

Vickie, you are also too sweet for noticing that I was gone. I appreciate it. I'm glad that you got your cut and color, even if its not exactly what you want right now. How's the pool? Can we come have a swim party?

Terry, I'm waaaay behind but CONGRATS on your loss. Two weeks in a row, that's really amazing. Maybe one of these days when I go to grad school again I can do research on the connection between blinking and losing weight. ;) And enjoy your cooking class! That sounds like so much fun.

Cher, have fun sclepping your laundry across the street tonight! Congrats for getting your bike ride in. Dog pounds! :lol: Hilarious.

Frouf, it just never stops for you does it?? I think that you did great at your bbq...those things are so difficult. Especially when people want to know why you won't eat things. If I hear one more person say, "Oh, one piece won't hurt you..." then I'm gonna hurt them! :lol: Anyway, good luck with that sleepover thing too. Talk about fun! :yawn:

Kathy, you are so beautiful! I don't know where you are hiding your last 10 pounds but they are hidden well!

Teri, glad that you got your "bump" inspected and things taken care of for now. Those experiences are always very stressful. Be good to yourself!

I know I am missing lots of people but I just can't remember everything. :o Sorry!

That post was so long I thought that I would start over to update you guys on myself!

First of all, my eating for the week has been super-crap. That's right, you heard me. I haven't eaten really badly, just not core. I have been so stressed and tired this week I have felt like I am going to have a nervous breakdown at times. Of course as most of you know that revolves around my job. I've never had any kind of work experience quite like this. To save a long drawn-out story, it boils down to the fact that I don't like myself when I am at work. I think and feel things that just flat out aren't me. And my co-workers (that have the same job as me) feel the same way. It is just a really horrible situation. We are all trying to find other jobs so that we can get out of where we are. (There are two other people who do the same job as me.) Anyway, I have applied for a job that I really hope to get, but I am just not holding my breath. I know that I have a purpose and that I can be used in the position where I am at but I just don't think I can make it much longer in the same circumstances. Anyway, I have just kind of come to a meltdown point this week and it has resulted in very poor eating. Of course I did start it myself last Saturday when I decided that I was going to have a non-core meal that I missed a lot. Its been downhill ever since. But I do plan to start afresh tomorrow (w/i day).
Murphy says to tell you all hello. He is laying on the couch with his head on my leg by the computer.
Anyway I have missed chatting with all of you this week. The board has been surprisingly slow this week, too. I have been stopping in to read everyone's messages even though I haven't been posting much.
Of course we are still waiting to hear about DH's job (?). It should be one week from today that we hear something.
I guess that's the update on me. I hope that all of you are doing well and that some of you are online tonight! My evening consists of going to bed early and folding laundry. Whoo-hoo!!

hey there, melissa. it's good to see you here. i was afraid i'd have to wi by myself in the am--and wi's prob not going to be pretty. i had the one "bad choice" day. the rest of the time i've been core using 5 waps per day. (that pudding that has me addicted) i have tried to cut down on carbs but my bod's already screaming for some. i got some of those phase 2 pills that somebody here was talking about. (i'm a monkey see--monkey do person, aren't i?) i started taking them today before meals with carbs. i hope they help.

i can imagine what stress you're under. i hope you can find a new job soon. life's too short to be unhappy

Oh I'm very grumpy. I just lost a huge post and now Jim is back and I have to go. Darn. I'll be back in the morning.

Oh Vickie! I'm so sorry. It is so frustrating to put the work into typing a long message and then having it get lost (I wonder if they will ever be "found"??). I was looking forward to hearing from you, too! Tomorrow!!

Sandra, you will not have to w/i alone...and my w/i will not be happy times either. You have had one bad choices day...I have made bad choices all week. But that's the way it goes, and I'm back on the wagon (hey where is that wagon) tomorrow. ;) for your w/i tomorrow morning!!
And you are right by the way, life is too short to be unhappy.

What a great thing to tattoo on our foreheads!! Life is WAAAAY too short to be unhappy!! (Can we add "...and hungry"??) :lol:

I just went to DS's apartment to try and find it. Sad to say, but I've never been there. He's messy and doesn't invite people over. He has been here, of course, in those two years but still ...

So you know he got that job with Dr Pepper. The orientation for new hires is tomorrow morning. And his car broke down today. He has a really nice Nissan Maxima, either a 2001 or '02 ... and it won't start. One of his neighbor friends has a car repair shop, so they are going to fix it this weekend. Meanwhile though, I'm picking him up at 7:30 in the morning, he'll drop me off at work, then go to the orientation somewhere in Irving, then bring the car back and I'll take him home. He's also worried about paying the upcoming rent and car payment, so I'm giving him $100 (not to be repaid) and loaning him $500 (that I might never see again) and my mom is also sending him some. That should tide him over until he gets paid. He's a brooding sort though; prone to depression and all that goes with it. His dad is in prison, his grandma (dad's mom) blames HIM ... said if he had been a better son, his dad wouldn't have robbed banks. Well, excuse me but WHATEVER!!! Witch!! The woman should be forced to tear up her grandma card. She's not worthy.

Well hopefully he's going to be okay. He took a distribution of his 401K, against his better judgment, but knew he might need it to tide him over until he found a job and started getting paid again. We've all been there I'm sure ... at least he doesn't have a wife and a bunch of kids. When I was 27, I was on my second marriage and had 2 children.

So any of you pray-ers out there, send up something for him tonight. I hate it that he worries and is starting the new job with the jitters, but like I told him a little while ago, things just have a way of working out. It'll be okay but meanwhile I know it's hard for him not to fret.

melissa, did you exercise this week? i didn't. my feet are still too old.

kathy, i hope all goes well for ds. things will settle down for him when he's worked awhile. seems like things happen at the worst times, doesn't it? i'm glad he has a friend who will repair his car for him..

life definitely is too short to be hungry. sometimes i get so tired of having to watch what i eat. i just want to go running naked through the woods screaming. but i don't think the world is ready for that so i'll just keep on keepin' on.

Hi Ladies - I just want to know if you use your 35 weekly points? Our leader said we really shouldn't have to? :?: Like last night I wanted something sweet and had this Nature Valley granola bar that tastes like a pay day....it's 4 points....plus we CAN have bread if we count the points...

Anyway - I just wanted to know what you all do?

Thanks! Cindy

Good Morning All! I'm up and ready to get my day started. I'm hardly still grumpy about losing that long post last night!

So I got my highlights and cut. The new Stylist said I was butchered and my hair is going to have to grow out before she can shape it into the style she envisions for me. She cut an inch off the back and sides (before she cut it my hair sat at my shoulders) and she put long layers in the back. She wants to cut it shorter eventually, but that's not going to happen. She said she was going to highlight and she did. I hate to be a whiner and I know it sounds like I'm never happy. But....I thought she was going to put "golden" highlights in. She knows I want to be golden blonde and I told her that I didn't want to be as light as my Niece whom she had just done. So I'm very, very, light. Jim keeps saying it's not that light. He's always trying to make me feel better. I don't want to be the pain in the neck client and she already knows that I was very unhappy with my other Stylist. Any advice?

Frouf, you've had highlights that you weren't happy with. Is there anything she can do to turn them from light blonde to golden blonde? I don't know. Maybe I should just live with it. I definitely look better with lighter than darker hair.

So today starts out quiet for me. Excercise soon (Jim's on the treadmill now) and breakfast. After an early lunch we'll go out to swim until about 2:30. That's when I have to get out to shower and get to a dinner that I made plans for a couple of weeks ago. GF wants to meet at 4:30 so she can eat and get home before her husband gets home from work. I'm not sure why we agreed, but we did. She's kind of eccentric, always has been. I'm trying to talk Jim into going back into the pool after dinner but he's not an evening kind of swimmer. I may have to use all my wiles!

Ok, this is already long so my next post will be my responses.

Cindy, I generally use at least 20-25 of my WPA's each week. I never use any of my AP's because my metabolism is so slow. I'm also careful with WPA's because I eat large portions sometimes at dinnertime. I'm still working on that stopping at satisfied thing. I think your Leader is full of hooey! I would definitely spend 4 points some time on the bar that tastes like a payday. That used to be one of my favorite candy bars. What's the brand and name?

Sandra, you're right. You're right alot, as a matter of fact! I am making way better choices. I may be eating too much sometimes but the foods that I'm overeating are wholesome. I'm short and stocky even when near my goal weight. My Sister and I like to joke that we come from sturdy peasant stock. Burley Mountain Woman meet Sturdy Peasant Woman! Is your banana pudding posted? I guess I better go read about it. I'm still afraid to make the granola. I don't think I'll have control.

Cher, you sound more chipper. Hope your eating plan is going well.

Frouf, grab your suit and come on down. Melissa wants to come too, so pick her up on your way. I have this vision of women of all sizes happily frolicking in my pool! It's a fun vision. Don't fret the BBQ. You're right to do whatever you need to do to avoid the bender, especially so close to your weigh in. It's always a good idea to have dinner ready or nearly ready when so close to weigh in. Hope you survive the sleep over and that we get to hear from you. My money is on you for winning the computer battle!

Terry, it's always a joy to hear from you. You've mentioned before that you've never eaten the same meal. I need to start making some new meals because I am in a definite rut. I have a 2 inch binder full of choices. I think my personal challenge this week should be to try at least two new dinners. Enjoy your class and let me know if you like it. Maybe I'll try one.

Linda, I've never heard about the cornmeal controversy. I buy Quaker Oats yellow cornmeal. It's checked Core in the CFC so I go with it. It looks pretty fine to me but I also never knew that there were other "grinds". Now, I guess you could argue that coarse is better for you. You know, that whole lower glycemic index argument. But that doesn't mean that the regular fine isn't Core. Just like couscous. Regular is Core. Some people buy whole wheat. I don't sweat it. I just buy the regular even though I know the ww is probably better for me. I don't eat either of them that often. JMHO. Hope that helps. BTW, I hope your boss does the right thing today. You need help getting out of that whole stress eating vicisous cycle.

Melissa, speaking of bad jobs.....get out!!!!! I know you can't just walk out but please try to find something else. I'll pray that you get the job you've applied for. It sounds as if you are in a VERY toxic situation. Sandra's right (see Sandra!), life is WAY to short to be unhappy. Take it from those of us who have been around the block several times! Could you afford to walk out without another job if Aaron gets the new job? I'm worried for you. When a job starts to change your personality, I'm thinking it's no longer worth the money. But then....I understand money worries. You'll make the right decision and in the meantime, I'll keep praying for you and Aaron.

Speaking of praying, Kath, your DS has all of mine as long as he needs them. What a rough life situation he's been through. And you too for that matter. I should NEVER complain because compared to others, I've had a darn charmed life. You are a Great Mom to take such good care of him. GrandMom however should be shot. Don't even get me started. She sounds evil! On a lighter note, congratulations to your Spurs. I don't follow basketball at all but they broke into QVC regular programming last night to sell Spurs merchandise. I said to Jim, "Kathy will be happy". Is basketball over now?

Ok girls, that brings me up to date on everyone's progress. It's now time for me to go treadmill. I'm watching North and South right now. I'd never seen it before and I like alot of the people in it. I'm especially a Patrick Swayze fan. I'm a Dirty Dancing Girl.

Talk with you all later, probably after my dinner if I can't get Jim to swim.

Good morning everyone! Anyone have any idea how to keep two little girls from squabbling every 5 seconds? I think I'm about to the point where I'm going to just ignore it and hope it'll all go away. Calgon, take me away!! :D

I THINK I might be feeling a tiny bit better today. I'm hesitant to say anything in case it's just a fluke though. :) Middle dd told me this morning that her throat hurt. La la la (fingers in ears) I'm not listening!!

So by Sunday here, the high is supposed to be 98! Sounds like we're in for a hot summer. Thankfully, I have a/c. I didn't when I was a kid. I have no idea how my mom stood it for so long. I guess I'm spoiled.

So dh got all his cholesterol numbers. His total was 223, which is borderline high. His triglycerides were 306, which is quite high. I'm concerned, because his father (who is in his mid-50's) has already had 2 heart attacks. Any ideas on how to get him to change his eating habits? I printed off a few articles from that American Heart Association website about why high cholesterol is bad and how to lower it. He's pretty stubborn when it comes to his eating though, and is not an exercise type of person. Sigh. I think we'll sit down today and I will tell him my concerns, and maybe we can talk about some lifestyle changes he WOULD be willing to do.

Well, got to be going on with my day...

Angela

Angela, I hope you reach DH. Triglycerides are really dangerous. So he needs to lower fats and eat less carbs. Any chance of getting him to follow Core with you? I'm assuming he doesn't smoke or drink alot since those also raise the triglycerides. With his Dad having heart disease he is really playing Russian Roulette. I'd be playing the "please don't leave me and your daughters early" card. I hope he listens to you and changes his lifestyle. My Jim ignored his diabetes and ending up having a stroke. He was lucky because there was no huge impact on him but there could have been.

I'm glad you are feeling better and also that DD just has air conditioner throat. We didn't have AC when I was a kid either. When I first moved in with Jim, his old house didn't have central AC, just two window units which were pretty ineffective. I was miserable! I couldn't live without it now. I can't believe how hot it has been already. Last year was horrible for swimming but this year seems like it's going to be great!

Kathy, what's up with Zuki? Is he healed?

He can chew on most anything he's got now, thank goodness! Looks like he's all good to go. Of course, we're still paying the vet! :lol: Judd told him he has to get a summer job to contribute to the bill but so far he hasn't found one. I think it's because he sleeps all day.