Hey everyone -- Just wanted to point out the announcement at the top.of all forum pages. The site will be down much of tomorrow as we switch servers!

HI all,
Thanks Heather for pointing out that the server change is happening tommorow. Since we wont be here lets spent that time exercising!!

I had a good loss this week of 1.2lbs. Thats a really good loss for me these days. Im happy with it and cant wait to see what i can do this week.
How many carbs do you aim for?? Im eating 1500 calories a day and know im getting to many carbs some days. Im talking bad carbs not veggie and fruit carbs.
IM a little behind on exercise for the month so will try to get moving today. We are suppost to have a beautiful day here before more rain moves back in. Garden is in need of weeding again. We have a few trees that need to be taken out before the house can be painted in a few weeks. So it looks like I have some good exercise planned. LOL
Hope everyone had a great weekend.
hugs

Welcome Monday!

It was a long and rather trying week and weekend. My friend's mother had surgery Friday. Because she has a fused leg from a knee replacement that went bad, she doesn't get in and out of any of her kid's cars well, but does fine in my SUV so I drove her to the hospital. We left the house at 6:30 a.m. and got home at 9:00 p.m. As cancer goes, it didn't sound too bad really. They got the whole tumor and while it isn't curable, it should be controllable with radiation and chemo, which takes the form of a pill every day. She's still weak and has some residual numbness, but then again, she just had BRAIN surgery! I hardly expected her to be running marathons.

Saturday was my in-laws 50th anniversary party. We'd missed the family dinner Friday, which was the actual anniversary. I started by going to WW with my friend, as it was her last WI to make lifetime! She did too! Yes, with all the stress she actually lost weight - although I'd been feeding her all week!!! I, of course, gained 4 lbs with the stress. So annoying! But not unexpected. I SO have to get back on track and as of today I'm trying harder. Then I went to the party with DS and DH. It was a pleasant party although as exhausted as I was I could have lived without it or the 3 hour round trip in the car there and back. But they were happy and got to see family that they don't see often. FIL's brother, who lives in Belgium, flew in. He is quite nice, I had never met him, and he's actually offered to drive to Rome when we go next year and spend some time with us. I guess it's really no different than us driving to New Orleans from here, a hard day, but doable.

Sunday DS did manage to tell me Happy Mother's Day. That was it for the celebration. No card, no gift, no breakfast in bed. If the church hadn't handed out little cards with angel pins I'd have gotten zilch. That's kind of okay though. I told DS his gift to me would be to be actually PLEASANT for a week! No snapping, or teenage snotty tones and he could actually SMILE occasionally! Teens! We'll see if I get my gift. Anyway I did some gardening then went to the hospital again with my friend to see her mom.

I've got lettuce I don't know what to do with! Way too much of it. Discovered some nasty wormy munching on it and sprayed with my "organic" bug killer. We'll see. The broccoli is about ready to harvest and I can see lovely cauliflower forming! The peas look wonderful and healthy and don't have a sign of a blossum...so they are toast tonight. I have to get my green beans in! And the peas are in the way. I HATE pulling up plants. I've been trying to decide what I can plant when the cauliflower and broccoli are toast...must be something you can plant late in the season. I still don't even own peppers or tomatoes, but I hope to buy them tonight and get them in before the storms start up again. Planted my single zucchini, we didn't get the second bed put in for more, and I need to get the cukes planted - tonight hopefully. I did get my flowers in the front planters.

I suppose I really should be working, so I'm off. Take care ladies and if I'm too busy to make it back (I'm the boss for the next few days on top of all my regular work) have a good time!

Morning ladies,

I survived Mother's Day with mom. It was a good visit; however way too short for 8 hours in the truck yesterday. Thank goodness that thing rides like a Caddy. Too bad it didn't have autopilot because I was tired both going and coming home. It didn't help that Danni was in the back seat snoring. Danni is the rottie.

Okay, ladies, I am going cold turkey with the food this week. I cannot do this any longer and I am not going to have the scale go up any higher than it is today. I'm tired of this. This is not how I want to be.

My sister has lost 38 pounds on Jenny Craig. Her son has lost 48 and his wife almost 40. I'm really happy for them but hope they are able to keep it off. They were all losing for a specific reason. They are all headed to New York in a week for their grandson's graduation from West Point. Then they all head to Orlando for their granddaughter's high school graduation. Her son, my nephew, and his son are headed to New Mexico in June or July for a 70 mile hike at the Boy Scout camp. Now they all get to get a lot more active in order to keep it off.

I'm not willing to pay for Jenny Craig but I am willing to follow common sense and get my head out of my rearend and quit with the stupid eating. I know what to do and I know it works. 1500 calories a day and stay away from the sugary carbs. And more cardio than I've been doing.

I was up early and did 10 minutes of ab/weight work. Then 20 minutes on the stationary bike.

Tonights agenda is plant the cukes; string mow the back fence line; pool chemicals if DH finishes filling the pool; walk the dogs; finish sowing the rye and fescue grass seed around the yard; log food into calorie king before eating dinner.

Better get at it and earn my salary. to all!

I too survived Mother's Day. I gave my mother her card that said all the traditional stuff (love you, have a great day, wish you all the best) and then she asked me if I really meant it! And then she asked me to take her shopping today! And then she pouted for a few hours...I have no idea why.

I weighed myself this morning. Terri, I'm right there with you. I'm up three pounds. I know why...I didn't keep track of the food all week, and yesterday I definitely overate. I think I've had too much sodium, and the weather is definitely warming up, so my hands and feet feel puffy.

Today I'm going to drink a lot of water and only eat raw veggies and some fruit. For the last few days nothing has tasted right to me, except strawberries and grapefruit, and I'm craving watermelon. But instead of choosing those things consistently, I have been foraging to find the thing that I wanted to eat, because I wasn't listening to my body.

Hope you all have a lovely day.


Georgia

Terri - I'm right there with you! The scale keeps creeping up and it just HAS to stop. I'm just sick that I stepped on the WW scale and saw the second number was a "6" again. Of course, that didn't stop me from overeating at the party, out with DH that night for dinner and taking my son to Ryan's on Mother's day. My friend and I have made plans to walk at least three days a week. We get off work at the same time and she works near my house, about as far away from it as I do. Of course, that won't happen until she's no longer running off to Columbia to see her mom in the evenings. I too have a goal, but mine's long-term. I need to not only lose weight, but to get in better shape before Rome in 11 months. I don't want to feel more crowded than I have to be on the planes. More importantly, I don't want to ruin that trip for myself by being too worn out to enjoy the walking and tours and sights and it's a LOT of walking, I'm told. (And I don't want to get stuck in the catacombs...I'm claustrophobic enough without it being "tight" down there!) I've actually heard it's kind of tight in the tunnels below the Vatican where to tomb of St. Peter is and although I'm not catholic, I want to take that tour!

So....time to get serious. I did it before and I can do it again!!! 40 lbs in 11 months is only 3.6 lbs a month. I CAN DO THIS!

OK - I'm with you! My routine got upset a tiny little bit and I responded by eating. I gained 6.5 pounds in 2.5 days - interestingly enough we don't have any off limit, horribly unhealthy things in the house. This was a huge lesson for me and a stern reminder about the planning requirement. I am done beating myself up and today has been a great day! Tomorrow back to the exercise - funny thing is - no one showed up for the water class on Saturday morning - that was what threw me off kilter - lack of "planned" exercise. I'm going to make this a learning experience.

I posted this year/last year anniversary pics on the pic page - I wish I could see more difference.

Hi Ladies!!!

I'm back from an amazing weekend in Minnesota with my best buddy! I indulged a bit and also did some crazy exercise. Hopefully it balanced out. We'll see.Regardless, I had a blast and tomorrow will be 100% back on track!!

No time to chat now, just wanted to say Hello to my favorite gals!

Barb

Hi all. My main planning challenge will be planning for these 2 1/2 weeks in Ohio. I won't have internet access, so my usual methods of logging won't be available, plus I won't have control over the menu or even much over my time.

So, what to do? I can eat sensibly even though I won't pick the menus. I can make sure there are carrot sticks and celery sticks in my mother's fridge for me to snack on, since I know there will be bad snacks around. I don't need to worry too much about exercise, since packing and cleaning at my mom's will be my primary activity, other than visiting with family. But I can also take walks when I go into town to go to the library and the grocery store. That should be easy enough, if I just make a commitment. A short walk every time I go into town. Celery and carrot sticks in the fridge. Just say no to dessert. JUST SAY NO.

Okay, that's a plan. I still have a few days before we leave. But I need to remind myself daily of what the plan is if I'm going to have any hope of sticking to it.

OP vibes going out to all.

~~~~~~O~~~~~~~P~~~~~~~O~~~~~~~~P~~~~~~~O~~~~~~P

Carol- Your pictures are amazing!! Thank you for posting them!! I am so proud of you!!!

hugs to all those getting back focused on themselves. I am finding I have to be selfish when it comes to dieting and eating right.I have to put myself first!! I have to take the time to cook special things just for me. I have to make time for exercise even if Im tired and dont really want to. The rewards are great!!!!

Hope everyone has a great day!! I plan on spending alot of time outside today in the sunshine because we have 5 days of rain ahead.
hugs

Hi ladies,

Not much time to post this morning. But wanted to say that yesterday was a great OP day. This morning, I was up early and did my 20 minutes on the stationary bike.

We, that are having trouble staying focused, need to really think about how we want to be. What is it that we want that is driving us to lose weight? We need to be determined and purposeful about what we are doing. I want to be athletic going into my 50's.

Dave Ramsey talks about being in control over your money. That means that you are establishing a plan and working that plan to tell your money where its to go and how its used. Instead of being out of control with spending and money slipping through your hands. Its about being purposeful. And doing what you have to do in order to stay on that budget. Well, the healthy living is the same way.

He also says that if you have a bunch of credit card debt and you want to buy something that you have planned for, then you are acting like a baby if you are whining around about not being able to do it. Well, the healthy living works the same way if we're whining around about not being able to eat the unhealthy foods, or worse, if we're eating them when we are already overweight and then feeling guilty.

Are we babies? Or are we grown women who can control overselves and have a purpose to living a healthy lifestyle? Can we determine what that healthy lifestyle is for us and balance that with what life throws at us?

Tough love ladies. We need our butts kicked for acting like spoiled brats.

Yes Terri Yes!

I am defining boundaries for myself - establishing balance - a work in progress. It truly is amazing what just 2 days back OP does for the mind. I skipped exercise tonight - no good excuse - I skipped. I will tackle that habit too - by missing Saturday it seemed to get me unfocused - back to it - no more whining!

Debi - thanks for the pic comments - you are too kind.

Well, I don't think I'm behaving like a spoiled brat...because I really would like to know what it's like to be spoiled! Just for a day or two! Or three...

Actually, I'm behaving like a grown woman relying occasionally on really poorly-developed crisis-coping skills. But I'm very self-aware...

Okay, I'm a smart-@$$ brat.

Geo

I'm liking my new food logging program: the feedback is automatic and useful and the charts are nice. I feel like I've really gotten some control over my eating in the last week or so, and in fact my scale is down lower than my ticker shows today, but I never change the ticker until I've gotten the same weight a few days in a row.


Bear with me while I repeat my strategy for Ohio. Eat sensibly within the options available. Make sure there are carrot sticks and celery sticks available to snack on during the day. Say no to dessert. Practice that. It sounds like this: "Angela, would you like some ice cream?" "No, thanks, I'm full." Take a quick walk every time I get out of the house.

Wow, DG, 95 pounds! Wow!

Terri, I think about this often: trying to visualize the in-control person and then be the in-control person. It's my whole life, eating, managing my obligations to family and work, money, career. So kick my butt any time

Geo: Good day?