[Mamacita]

Good Morning, Chickies~~

Well, all the company has left. Cousin Bill and Uncle Justin came Sunday and stayed overnight, then left yesterday, taking Aunt Sally with them, back to Huntsville. And we took DD and SIL to the airport last night. I'll miss them all, but truthfully, I'm sort of glad for the quiet.

My two DD's do NOT get along at all, which just kills me. And any other year, I'd have eaten myself into a coma from the stress, but this year I did really well. Stepped on the scale this morning and NO GAIN!!! Although there were a few glitches, such as a serving of tiramisu for dessert.

Another happy note: DD from LA dragged me out shopping, said she couldn't stand looking at me in my old jeans another instant...and I'm down TWO SIZES! From an 18 to a 14!! Remember the jeans debate thread? Well, let me tell you, the real secret for those of us with fluffy middles is to not try and squash all that fluff into highwaisted jeans. Instead, get the low-rise jeans that sit on the hipbones. Another thing that I'd been guilty of is buying straight legged jeans instead of flares or bootcut. That's much more flattering. I actually look like I've lost weight now.

Welcome back Cottage by the sea and Welcome DollyofOz.

Well, I need to get my shower and head out to the gym. Work is going to be really slow. Dr. D's brother in India had a massive stroke, so he flew over to be with him and closed the practice for the week. I'll only have my regular folks coming in this week. Guess I'll be able to catch up on my knitting!

You Chicks have a great day on the Beach!

Mamacita

[Marianna]

Evening Chickies

Mamacita... how great to read about the new sizes! I bet you feel fantastic. it is amazing what some new clothes can do for a girl.

Today started out pretty ordinary but some friends rang and asked us over for a BBQ and a family stroll. So we all dragged the toddlers down to a local park and fed the horse that lives down there with carrots and sugar cubes (well we aren't using them!).. Then we took a wander around the walkway for almost an hour, just having a great time looking at things like the little ones like to do... all in all a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

So we are off the bed.... have a great day!

[cottagebythesea]

Good Morning All,

Thanks for all the "Welcome Backs", you gals are the greatest! I really missed you all while I was "computerless". I can't believe how outdated my old computer was! This new one can do all sorts of wonders, and fast! I'm determined to teach myself everything I need to know about it. My SIL talked me into getting DSL so my phone lines won't be tied up everytime I'm online, too.

I'm still working on getting rid of all the "holiday food" before I start back seriously on Phase 1. We have a lot of relatives and friends who drop by during the holidays, and I have to have something to set out to feed them. So I'm waiting til Monday to start, that way I'll have NO temptations or excuses.

It's been freezing here the past few days, temps in the teens and low 20's, but so far we've only had a dusting of snow. I'm looking forward to a good snowstorm, so I envy you gals further north with your blizzards.

Well, I gotta run and drop off some things at Mom & Dad's, and they're anxious to see the pix of the new baby. Talk to you all soon----

[Ruthxxx]

Good morning, late as I am. I woke at the usual 5 but did not wake up again until Lucy barked at 7:15. Mybe this is the new me for 2005?

Yesterday was a very quiet day aside from the sound of the washer and dryer. I still have two loads because I indulged in a longish afternoon nap and several phone calls to relatives. A friend dropped in late afternoon and he and Harry drank Port and ate Stilton while I drank diet gingerale and resisted the cheese. A crockpot dinner and early bed rounded out the clean eating day.

Friend John is picking up my treadmill today and will leave it on the front porch. I am still not sure where I can fit it into this small house but will figure it out when the tree is down. Harry need to go to the Library and that's my only must-do for the day.

I hope everyChick can manage a few hours of relaxation - this time is referred to as The HOLIDAYS!

By the way, when you answer your phone today, it'll be Four Calling Birds.

[Barb0522]

Welcome, DollyofOz! You have done great! I think many of us who have done well on South Beach have found the holidays to be challenging and are looking to get back on track. Take a peek at the sticky we have for our exercise challenge. I find that it helps motivate me to exercise since I get to post it there. I'll be starting up the thread for January later this week. I am finding it hard to drag myself to Ballys but I am always happy I went once I am there.

Mama - Congrats on the jeans! I need to go shopping again but I hate to spend the money (just got my credit card bill - YUCK!). I wish I could bring my crochet to work. It has been really slow this week but someone might tell my manager (who is in another state) and that would not be good.

Artemis - Sounds like you had a wonderful day. Little kids are so sweet.

Cottage - DSL makes a huge difference! I think it is worth every penny.

Ruth - Try to place your treadmill where you can watch TV. I find that really helps the time pass. Sometimes I have had it face the computer and then I play a DVD on it. I hope yours is easier to move than mine. I have a really nice NordicTrack one but it is very heavy.

Me - My weight has been bouncing all over the place. Probably water retention. We brought in Chinese for lunch yesterday. I got braised eggplant with brown rice. Their menu even lists the calorie counts. Today though I am back to my soup since they want to go out for Italian and I remember last time I went to this place they had nothing really OP. Last night's dinner was Beef veggie stir fry (eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes etc) and I was so stuffed even without eating any rice. The newspaper had an article on healthy eating this morning that I'll post if I can find online. It was very similar to South Beach.

[anchor weight]

Good Morning!

Everyone sounds pretty chipper today. I slept in today a little and was 15 minutes late for work but the good news is the pharmacy next door to my school must have set off their alarm again and the cutest sheriff I've ever seen is always the one who responds. I'm beginning to thing the girls are doing it on purpose. And I'm having a great hair day! Not sure why - maybe because there is not one stitch of humidity in the air.

I don't know about you all (or as bami would say) ya'll but I'm feeling much better since I'm back on the veggies and chicken and soup and shakes. I haven't exercised since last week but that is on the agenda tonight. I made low carb chili and have been eating that too.

If anyone is interested in the article about low carb nutrition for pets the magazine is Low Carb Living - it is the November/December issue and is on sale until 1/15/05. Their email address is www.LCLmag.com - I don't have a pet right now - except Lucky the hamster - but I found it to be incredibly interesting.

Have a great day!

[little chick]

Morning chicks....it is cooooooooolllllllllllllddddddddddd here today. I do not want to go outside and don't have to til I go to work at 5:00 hope it warms up a bit by then.

anchor weight- morning chick lucky girl a great hair day and a cute sheriff.


Barb- morning chick my weight seems to be staying the same. Soon the holidays will be over and things will get easier again.

Ruth- I slept in today as well til 9:00 that was soooo nice. I actually am feeling human again I have had 4 days in a row off and don't have to work til tonight at 6:00 I am still in my jammies. Good luck with the treadmill my only advice on that is don't put it anywhere where it will be come a hanger.... a hanger for clothes, or laundry baskets etc. thats what happend to mine. I am going to get it cleaned off for the new year.

cottagebythesea- Welcome back chicky, nice to have a new puter to play with. I will send you some of our snow we got lots. The whole city was pretty much shut down yesterday.


Artemis02- sounds like you had a lovely day.

Mamacita- Congrats on the new jeans. My dd are trying to convince me to buy low rise jeans as well my oldest tells me the waist of my jeans look like they are under my boobs. Maybe I will try a pair on and see how they look. Good for you not eating because your dd's don't get along. My house is like a battle field somedays with my two, I am hoping that it is just the teen years. One minute they are bickering the next they are best friends drives me crazy.

Me- I am just sitting here in my jammies enjoying the quiet dd's are at the friends house and dh is out visiting his friend and I am just taking in all the quiet I can get. No tv or radio to be heard just the clicking of the keyboard. I may head off and enjoy a nice long bath and a magazine. I did step on the scales this morning and I have stayed the same and that is with TOM starting yesterday. I may just make my Dec goal of staying the same if I don't eat to much between now and the end of the week.

Welcome dollyofoz and a big hello to all the chicks to come. Hope you all have a great day.

[Bunnababy]

Quick check in. Welcome to the newbie and welcome back cottage. Sounds like everyone had a pretty good Christmas other than some family fighting which always seems to happen in one way or another. Sorry about the disagreement with the parents and the siblings arguing. Congratulations Cottage on the new grandbaby, all I can say as a grandma is enjoy enjoy enjoy.

As for me I will be glad when the festivities end on Jan. 1. We had a very nice Christmas and I have managed to stay about the same thanks to Ellis' idea of doing Phase III through the holidays. You would have been proud of me I did not eat one white potato on Christmas Day. I must still have some SBD in the hard drive cuz I was not even tempted to eat them. We had 21 people at dinner and it didn't even get too crazy, played some games with the kids after dinner then had fresh crab dip and then some pie, went home and spent the evening with our canine and feline kids. This is the first year I have not gotten sick at Christmas in a long long time. Hooray!

It was so much fun watching the new grandbaby with her presents, she is nine months old today and she loved some of her talking goodies. The other grandkids loved their presents and the kids were all happy along with the spouse and parents.

Right now I weigh 266 and my goal is to get down at least 40 lbs by March for my neices wedding. Not impossible and I am thinking about doing Phase I for the entire month of January. Once I get through the first few days it gets much easier and I am thinking I can handle the entire month. By the time the holidays come next year I want to at least be down to 190. So here is to the next year for all of us in losing weight and gaining better health.

Off to work again.

[Bamiegurl]

A quick hello! More company today. I am not looking at the scales right now. Tomorrow is another shopping day with MIL. Penney's is having an additional % off their clearance prices so I may can get me a tree pretty cheap. We'll see! Gotta jet. With DH off all week I don't have much computer/me time!
Glad to see everyone survived the holidays and we are starting to get back on track! Your right Anchor I would say y'all. You all sounds so Northern! teehee! Now don't be over there tryin to set the alarm off with them! haha! Oh here he comes gotta jet!