Carol - I know how hard it is to get back into your routine, especially when you are very busy. We just have to make it a top priority. It would be nice if that coworker of yours would just go and join the others who have left.

Judy - I hope your doctor visits went ok and that you don't have a stress fracture in your foot. It must be quite painful. I hope it gets better soon. It must be tough for you traveling so much with your sinus problems. I know my sinuses were clear during my trip to England, so in my case it's probably related to my environment here.

Emma - It sounds like you are doing great - keep up the good work! Some of us need a bit of inspiration right now.

Marie - I'm glad your wrist isn't fractured. Now that you can have a normal range of motion it should start to heal. I'm glad you're enjoying the soaps. A friend of mine wants to get into doing them so she's going to come around with her soap supplies and I'll give her some pointers. That should be fun as she's a really nice person and we don't get together as often as I'd like. I think you're right about mold and Portland! I love living here though, so I can't imagine moving somewhere else because of my allergies and there would be no guarantee that I wouldn't have problems some other place.

I've been soooo busy since I got back dealing with my overflowing "in tray". Now that I've got a handle on it I feel better. I hate having stacks of stuff that need attention. Yesterday I had a long meeting with my ladies group. We're organizing our annual bazaar and tea next month where we serve 450 - 550 sit-down teas and have our big crafts and "attic treasures" bazaar. It's lots of work, but for a good cause. I'm going to be making some soaps and also filling teacups & saucers with some British mini-candy bars that I brought back with me. These were popular last year. Yesterday was the first day I didn't go overboard with calories. My eating has been out of control since I got back as I got used to eating all the wrong things. Now I have to 're-train' myself to eat healthy. I've started working out again at Curves and that feels good.

Wow, although the weather is in the upper 70s or even 80, it suddenly feels like fall. It's dark before I get home from work, and a little crisp when I wake up. So I'm beginning to want hot food for lunch instead of my default salads. I have a couple of Lean Cuisines and veggie burgers in the office freezer so I'll always have healthy options for days that I don't have time to pack something, or if I feel really hungry in the late afternoon.

Hey, Emma, good for you with the exercise . My hips are the last to lose, so I know that it feels great to notice a difference there. You rock!

Marie, I'm so glad that you wrist isn't broken. Better safe than sorry, though--that's why you and your employer pay so much for health insurance, so that you have the option when you need it. I hope you're able to get back to your usual level of workout intensity soon.

Carol, it's always something at work, isn't it? Maybe the new gym will give you a chance to work off the negative vibes of your co-worker.

Penny, I can relate to how hard it is to get back on track after a long trip. Even if I start back eating super-healthy food right away, my body is looking for the calories I was getting before, thanks to big helpings (like in restaurants) and little extras, like appetizers and drinks. Evenings is when it's hardest for me. But I think I almost have a handle on it...just in time to leave town again in a few days . I'm already losing some of last week's gain.

Yesterday I got x-rays and a referral to a podiatrist. The knee guy wasn't too helpful, but he did give me the referral I need for physical therapy. Then I saw a integrative medicine internist. She had lots of suggestions for proactively dealing with the sinus hassles. I just have to commit the time to working on my breathing, incorporating specific spices into my diet and doing nasal irrigation every day. Penny, she said that the neti pot is better for prevention than for when you have a lot of congestion. She also told me to soak my foot in salt water, and to try a castor oil patch. I did the foot soak last night. I don't know if it helped, but it felt nice

This morning I had oatmeal and a chicken b'fast sausage. I'm having turkey breast and greens for lunch. Later I will have shrimp and celery sticks for a snack, and almonds if I'm still hungry. I have to stop in at a reception, I'll just have veggies there and no alcohol. Dinner will probably be a big salad, with a smoothie for dessert.

Okay, more than enough from me! Take care.

judy

My foot is really bugging me. I just did short workouts Sunday and Monday. I got through 45 minutes of cardio this morning.

Oh Penny what a blessing that would be if this one followed we'd have a great office etc..... My other office mates have come to the plate this time more than me and told the upper team that this is crazy and it needs to stop. She is always in a bad mood and trying to stir the pot in the office. I personally am a bit sick of listening to it. Today is a break as she is off. I do feel bad for her she is having a hard time with a grown son whom has some issues. Thats not easy. But she truly is very unhappy with her work setting. She could take her caseload with her as this last one pretty much has. Thats a families choice not a companies to whom they go with. Oh well. At any rate I hope to see an end to it very soon. The new girl hired is a daughter in law of the assistant adminsterator. So this stuff will relax a bit. I said yesterday they should switch me out and put her in my office that would end a lot of stuff. HaH hAH!!!! It won't happen but was a good laugh. Soaps now what fun my friend and I are just starters too. Sorry we don't live closer I bet you would be fun to hang out with to make soaps etc. Wow what a tea party!!!
Your not kidding once your out of a routine its tough and now Judy I agree with you by the time you get home its dark or almost etc. I do have to make time for myself and this week has been nuts. Not fitting it in but next week I am making a schedule. I also have decided to never skip my meds again what was I thinking. I don't think thats helped and boy how fast the wt. springs back on us. I am so upset with myself. At this pt. I am not having pasta or bread at least for a bit. I have been a bit to relaxed with my food choices and exercise. The back thing sure didn't help any. Before that I was exercising more without a doubt. So this weekend I am going to be faithful to exercising and making good food choices. Even with camping!!! I am determined to get that dang scale moving down!!! I hate this wt......
Judy good info. from the doc's office never heard of those patches before. What exactly are they to do soften it??? Hope it gets better real soon.
Marie good for you with that wrist glad your healing. Never fun to be down and out and sometimes a sprain can be more pain than a break they say.
Wow girls I never knew curves was so expensive a friend joined. I guess I always thought of it as a smaller place less equipment etc. I was a bit taken by the price but if it does the job good for my friend joining. I still haven't gotten to sign up yet but will get to the gym. I am going with Golds gym. Got to stop in and just sign up. Maybe on Tues. I will just take my stuff and do that right after work. I would like to start going in the morning before work and shower there etc... Well sorry for my down mood today but the scale and I had a disagreement he said no to what I wanted...... Have a good day!

Carol, the scale and I are always in disagreement. I believe I weigh 110 but it chortles when I tell it that. Sorry you're down. Why don't you suggest a change of office mates? All they can do is say no. Never hurts to ask.

Judy, I know the sinus irrigation helps my sister so get on that routine. I hope your podiatrist is as great as mine. If I could, he'd be my family dr.

So here a funny one for you - I was munchy and being not on the wagon at the moment, I dove into my snack drawer (pretty much empty but has some ok things for when I get stuck here). I grabbed 5 saltines and then promptly slammed my middle finger (the one I talk to the scale with) in the drawer. Man, oh man is it sore!!! Turned black and blue right away under the nail. And it hurts to type. I guess I'll learn - but I doubt it. If I'd been on track, it wouldn't have happened.

Penny, just how on earth do you serve tea for upwards of 500 people??? That's a monster of a task. And yes, I love my soap, you have a customer for life. I've used 1.5 bars so far. Told my family to keep their grubby paws off them.

Work is better today. I think I'm catching up from being out of the office for 3 days last week. I was a bum today and didn't get out of bed again. I think I'm going to go for a brisk walk in a few minutes and then more on the treadmill later. Or I'll check out my new yoga DVD that I got from amazon. Or I might be a couch potato. Oh, who knows. My options are endless...
Marie

Oh, Marie, ouch . That seems like a lot of punishment for a couple of lousy saltines. We're going to have to wrap you up in bubblewrap for a while so that all of your parts get a fair chance to heal.

I've been sleepy all day. Last night's reception was more like a sit-down buffet dinner, and I never could sneak out gracefully. Plus the food was slammin'--including a seafood bar and a chocolate fountain! I had lean protein, grilled veggies and a bit of chocolate-covered fruit. But later I went out for a quiet drink (or two) with some of the folks, and got home very late. Oh, well. I couldn't just fall into bed and go to sleep, so I soaked my feet and watched baseball until long after midnight.

Carol, how much is the Curves membership? Mine was $50/month, which is a lot lot less than the full gyms around here. It was just enough to be motivated to get my money's worth, but not so much that I would be tempted to cancel if I wasn't maximizing my membership. I hope you're feeling good about your intake and exercise.

Penny, 450-550 people is a lot for tea...and proper English ladies can't serve tea in paper cups like Starbucks. It sounds like a fun event to attend, though.

The camphor pads are supposed to help bring down swelling and inflammation. I haven't found any yet. I haven't heard back about my x-rays, so maybe no news is good news about my foot. I will go home early today so I can get a little time on the bike before parking myself in front of the tube to watch more baseball (Go Tribe!). Today I've had soymilk, an apple, a cheese stick, a Balance Bar, a South Beach beef and broccoli lunch (too salty), sliced red pepper, hummus and smoked tofu. Dinner will be a salad.

Time to hobble off to the bus...

Judy - I like your idea of wrapping Marie in bubble wrap ! Maybe we can try it on our poor feet too . Oh, you have so much temptation in your job - chocolate fountains, oy veh! I don't know how you manage to do as well as you do on the road. I hope your footsies feel better soon. I can empathize - it can really be a drag when every footstep hurts. I'll have to look into the camphor pad for when my ankle is acting up. Wow, your Curves is much more expensive than mine. I pay just $29 per month. We serve our teas on heirloom china (pretty cups and saucers that have been donated by our members over the years). We serve tea out of actual teapots and it's quite a challenge serving that number of teas in a 5 hour period! The hardest part is getting people to leave so we can seat the people waiting in line!

Carol - I'd love to get together with you to make soaps and drink a nice "cuppa"! Too bad we're so far apart. Hey, don't let that scale get you down! We must wage war against the evil scales and we will win! Try not to skip your thyroid meds, that can really mess you up with weight loss. I'm on thyroid meds too and I think it has helped me quite a bit.

Marie - Sorry to hear you have yet another owie on your finger. I'm sure you don't need that right now. I hate my scale at the moment. It just won't go lower no matter how much I threaten it! I hope you like your yoga DVD. I haven't done any yoga since I got back, so thanks for reminding me. Since you asked, It's quite a job to serve all those teas. We have 9 items on our tea plate - 4 savory and 5 sweets. Each chapter is responsible for preparing one tea plate item and another chapter serves the tea. My chapter is making cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches and a chocolate dipped profiterole. My chapter is also making about 10 different crafts and each member makes 2-4 dozen baked items (British themed) for the bake sale. We also sell British Christmas crackers and Christmas Puddings (each chapter makes a dozen).

Today I decided to make our bedroom as allergy free as possible. I did a major clean up and took out any "dust collectors". I cleaned our window grooves (at the bottom of the sliding windows). You wouldn't believe the crud that had built up - all kinds of moldy looking stuff - yuk! I washed all the bedding and bought new pillows and allergy covers. I'm hoping these measures will help with my mold/dust mite allergies. We're also thinking of replacing our w/w carpet with a wood laminate floor.

Marie you did make me laugh. Not so funny though it must of really hurt those little crackers most likely weren't worth it. Huh? Oh I am trying and using the scale everyday right now. I feel it will help me be determined to make a change. I do believe menopause has something to do with this though not completely but something. I have had lots of hot flashes lately oh during the night is the worst as you get woke up several times. I am thinking of taking a bit of something to give myself a nights sleep. If my office mate starts in today I am going to say yah know its time to stop because certain things are the way they are and being upset and ventings not going to change them. The job is what it is and the office to if your that unhappy maybe a move is due. Boy I am a bit more than ready today cause it was so peaceful yesterday with the office to myself. The scale wasn't down but not up either. Giving up bread I decided isn't easy and I just need to modify my habits and I will conquer this!!!!
Judy the membership here I guess is the same 300 for the first 6 months but a full gym really great one with updates and pool sauna and hot tub is 580 a yr. Just seems like you get so much more and dressing rooms with top of the line hotel accomadation hair dryers etc..... Oh well personal choice I guess. I am going to get myself swinging to the gym tues. even going to take off a couple of hrs. to do so. The food sounded great at least you had some choices and could still enjoy yourself. I am off to an evening wedding tonight and hope I can stick to healthy eating. Meanwhile raisan bran for breakfast and a V8 for a snack, salad with turkey for lunch with a lite dressing. Trying to be better thats for sure. I will sneak in an apple with my lunch and one before the wedding good fiber and it will help me feel full.
Penny's price of curves is what I thought more like it would be. When I wt'd out the prices thought wow the gym is a better choice for me. I am hopeing that the thyroid meds kick in soon. I shouldn't of ever let that go sometimes we forget about what we should do for ourselves when serving so many others. Dum move for me! But the lesson isn't a nice one to learn. I think my back being messed up cut me back on exercise.

Morning everyone. I decided to post before doing much work this morning. Once the district knows I'm at my desk, i'm a sitting duck for their problems.

So my finger is black and blue at the tip. It doesn't hurt as much to type today, just a bit. But tought th nail side and wow-wee does it hurt. The saltines were not even remotely worth it.

Judy the bubble wrap was funny - but I'm very visual and the thought of tiny bubble wrap morphed into fat cells that I've seen pictures of and decided I have plenty of bubble wrap. And I would have been a goner at the chocolate fountain. How do you stay or lose weight?I'd be the one ton man if I had those temptations. I do believe you have a might willpower!!!

Penny, I did The Firm Beginner Yoga workout yesterday. It was great. I liked it and could almost do most of the moves (except too much pressure on the left wrist). I'd bought it through Amazon for $19.99 - it came with the 30 minute workout DVD, a foam brick, a strap and yoga mat. I was like, hmmm, what the heck is the brick and strap for. It made it so you could do more of the movements as a beginner to work into it. Who would have ever guessed I'd like it as I've hated the other tries at Yoga. I can keep on track wtih this one. It doesn't seem to work the balance aspect as much as the flexibility. So I still need to find something to start working on my balance. I might research the yoga balance moves and add them by myself.

Yesterdays stats: Probably about 2 million calories (I didn't log but I did log breakfast this morning to get back on track). OK, 2 million might be over exaggerating. I'd say rough calc-ing in my head, about 1800 cals. I did walk 2.25 miles and did the Yoga video.

And I forgot to mention this but on Wednesday I started adding a jogging to the walking. Only 1/3 mile but it's a start. I did it again this morning. I'm starting to get my exercise in line for skiing as it keeps snowing on me when I walk and I bought my season pass. I am excited for ski season. Who'd have guessed I'd look forward to winter????
Marie

You know, it's a little dispiriting to write this when an ad that says, "I've lost 14 pounds in 4 weeks" is taunting me just to the right of this thread!

But it's Friday, the Indians crushed the Yankees last night, and I'm in a good mood. My foot xrays don't show any bone problems, so maybe when I get to see a podiatrist in a couple of weeks, there will be a simple solution to whatever's ailing my foot.

Marie, I'm glad that you like the yoga video. I like mine but haven't done it much these past several months. I would like to find a couple of new low-impact cardio videos. The balance ball video isn't quite working for me. The guy is a little creepy, and I think I should've gotten a ball for a taller person, because I seem to sit lower on the ball than I should, due to be so heavy. I could try a different ball, but I'd hate be stuck with two and still not want to use them!

No, I don't have supernatural willpower, or I wouldn't have just eaten a bag of baked potato chips . Not eating wheat has been a bit of a blessing, though. That eliminated most of the yummy options at the chocolate fountain, for instance, and kept me away from the pasta bar altogether.

Carol, the Curves and the full gyms here, like everything else, are much more expensive. I used to belong to one near my old apartment, but mostly only went on the weekends. I loved the spa parts of it, the steam and the jacuzzi. Since I have a new fitness center in my building, and I don't take advantage of that as often as I should, it's hard for me to justify paying $75 or more a month for a gym membership. I hope you have fun at the wedding!

Penny, wouldn't you like to come to DC and bust some dust for me?

judy

G,day everyone just thought I would drop in and say HI, Hey Judy and Carol, I was looking for someone I new and there you were, I hope you remember me It,s Julie from downunder, haven,t been here for awhile but yes I,m on that train again to weight loss city LOL I will be trying to catch up on all the posts so I can see what you have all been up to. Bye for now, Take care, BLESSED BE. JULS

Penny, KFalls is closer than DC and I could use some bust the dust, too.!!!!

Judy, what that ad chirped so merrily is that to lose the 14 pounds in 4 days was that the person had their left leg amputated. A little known fact, but a fact none the less. So don't be disconcerted.

This morning I walked the beautiful Blizzard and the jacka$$ Kodiak. Lordy, he's a pain sometimes. He wanted to get into it with anothe dog that a dumb lady was walking. So her dog and mine are mincing words and trying to lunge at eachother. Does the dumb lady pull her doggie along so that we'd put distance between them???? No she just stands there. I think me muttering (not so softly) "move lady" might have eventually helped but I drug Kodiak away. Too bad my knee connected with his head as he tried lurching. I did not feel bad. He's such a donkey and the lady was a dummie.

Ok, I feel better.

Anyway, on the walk I did 1/3 mile jogging again. My lungs can still feel it. It was 32 degrees. Cold and exercise irritate the asthma but I promptly remembered to take my meds when I got home. Good thing the ribs have healed that I can use them again. The remainder of the 1.5 mile walk was walking. Then I did my Yoga video again. The brick and strap really help in the stretching. I guess my research of reading customer reviews was worth it as I do like it.

I played with DGS loads last night. I love his age. Such a goofy, happy boy. DS is thinking of staying unemployed to work on developing his own software engine. He's very excited about it and both he and his GF want to stay in KFalls. This would be a way as GF will graduate from school in Dec and come next school year there will be a several teacher openings as my district is changing benefits and many long time teachers will lose mucho dollars if they don't retire. So perhaps I will see DGS grow!!! That would be cool. I think I'll help financially for a while, but I didn't offer last night. I must ponder our finances 1st as Miss Blizzie and her vet bills screwed up our finances. So we'll see.

Today I'm going to sew. Easy on the wrists. I've been sort of bummed that I can't do my hobbies because of the wrists. I've wanted a couple colored jeans skirts so I bought stone, green and brown material. Today I'll start sewing. I already cleaned up my craft room (so I could yoga). So I'm ready.
TTYL.
Marie

G,day Marie, how are you doing, I feel for your dog people are such air heads at times th woman should have gotten out of the way, but at least you had a chance to vent, I remember you and anyone else I forgot to mention I missed all of you, when I was here last you guys got me through some tough times. JULS

Julie, it's so nice to hear from you! I hope that you are doing well, I remember that you were embarking on some stressful times a while back. Heavens, don't try to catch up on all those posts, I'm sure we'll have some exciting new drama, challenges and successes any second now, so just start over fresh!

Marie, it will be so nice to have your grandbaby around. I hope the family finds a way to stay in the area. I like the combination of yoga, walking and jogging. You're getting in a nice mix of cardio, stretching and strength-training while everything heals up.

I went to the annual Green Festival yesterday. A massive celebration of health, nutrition, sustainability and consumerism in the convention center, with some invigorating left-wing politics thrown in. I've gone to two others over the past few years, but this time I was blown away by the size and the crowd! I brought home a lot of loot: tote bags, magazines, samples, coupons, etc., plus two jars of Really Raw Honey. That stuff is great, I have to keep myself from eating it with a big scoop, like a bear.

I'm packing my workout togs--I'm sure that they have an exercise bike, at least--and heading to the airport in an hour or so, for Charlotte. I'll try to check in a few times between now and Wednesday night. Be well, everyone!

judy

G,day everyone, Hi Judy Yeah life was stressful back then but I,m gettimg there I have learnt to just let go and let the Gods handle things. I went from 88kgs down to 75kgs and I felt good but over the last 4mths have gone back up now 91kgs I think that is about 190lbs give or take a few. I have been having terrible pains from my right hip all the way down to my foot also in my left arm, having lots of tests have to go for bone scan Doc was ??? bursitis but concerned it could be something else, it sucks I can,t move around to much can,t even go for a walk, to much pain and I could do more damage, hope they figure it out soon sick of getting pushed and poked. Anyway Imay not be able to get mobile but I am back to a healthier eating plan following WW points plan and I know like before with you lovely ladies to help and support me I will get there again, well I have raved on enough, bye for now Take care... JULS

Carol - I'm cutting down on bread too. I now have just 1/2 a slice of toast with breakfast - not a big amount to cut out, but it all helps. I'm also cutting down on potatoes and other really starchy foods. I couldn't give them up altogether, but eating 1/2 as much should make a difference in the long run. I'm substituting with a bigger variety of non-starchy veggies. I hope you found something to help with the hot flashes.

Marie - I hope your finger is feeling better. It looks like the skiing season will start early this year. I'm sure you're looking forward to your winter sports. When the weather gets cold I just want to stay indoors, drink cocoa and wait for spring!

Juls - I'm not sure if we've met - but welcome back! My DH and I lived in Aussie for 7 years (near Sydney). We still keep in touch with our good friends there. Sorry to hear about your health problems and I hope you soon feel better.

Judy - It sounds like you had a fun weekend at the festival. Have a good trip to Charlotte. I hear you guys are having a heat-wave back east.

I ate too much again yesterday as it was my DH's birthday (he's 64) and we went out to eat at the Claim Jumper restaurant. The best ribs I've ever had, but I hate to think how many calories . I was thinking of that Beatles song "When I'm 64". I can't believe he's already that age - it seems just yesterday we were young kids listening to that record! I'm no spring chicken either (58 last birthday) but I'm still young at heart, so that's what really counts!

I hope everyone has a good week.