Daily check In II
 

Hi Ladies- I hope you all find your way over here. I would be lost without you all.

This thread is dedicated to checking in daily and keeping eachother on track. Feel free to pop in and introduce yourself.


Nikki

Thanks for starting a new thread Nikki :hug: . I'm sure the others will find us soon. I hope your Friday is going well.

Judy - No, I'm not any kind of scientist, but I love nature - especially unusual plants and birds. The only kind of chemistry I'm involved with is when I touch up my roots about every six weeks! :lol:

Carol - Your puppy sure is a bundle of energy - maybe a trip to the vets to get "tutored" is what he needs to calm down :dizzy:. I always think of the Far Side comic when the dog leans out of the car window bragging to another dog that he's going to the vets to get tutored. Maybe your nasty coworkers need to go to the vets too! :lol:

Marie - I hope you're having a great time skiing and swimming today.

My back is playing up because of all the gardening and I could hardly move this am. I took 2 ibuprofens so will attempt to go to Curves. I still have so much I want to do in the yard, so it's quite frustrating when the body won't cooperate! On Saturday we're going to a specialty nursery out in the country where they have mini kiwi trees. My trees are out of sync with the male blooming about a month after the two females - hence no fruit! I'm looking for a new husband for my two lady trees. :lol:

Have a great weekend everyone.

Penny It is good to see you. I hope everyone finds us. My day is so crazy I barely had time for breakfast. I'm thinking steak for dinner and maybe brocolli mmmmmm.

I hope your back feels better soon.

Nikki

This will have to be quick. I have had a hectic day and am in a crummy mood at the moment. I'd hope to focus on one or two key things before packing up to leave the office, but lots of little fires needed to be put out and so much for not working late tonight :censored:

I may not be able to check in tomorrow, my travel day, but I will try. I had a good workout this morning and have been eating on program all week :D . I will let you know how much weight I've really lot, based on Saturday morning's weigh-in.

Nikki, thanks for getting us restarted...and Penny, I hope we are able to connect on Sunday!

:hug:

Nikki thanks for contacting me and setting up the site. The ongoing contact is so helpful I think we all would be lost with out each other.
Penny oh I can picture Bear doing exactly that out the window! He is quite the man I tell you. But in many ways he is coming around and that is so nice when he does what he should do. Puppies will be puppies I am told and spaniels have high energy and spirits to boot! My back is killing me in the mornings not so nice its my lower back butt area. If it doesn't improve soon I will go see the doc. My last resort. If I take Aleve before bed or something like it I am much better in the a.m. it passes after I am up for a bit. But it does hinder the yard chores a bit. Penny I would like to send them all off to the vet. That might be a good resource to use. When their acting up next time I am going to think of what you said and just have a little giggle to my day it will be a good tool for me to use. Its funny the one tries to put all the blame on the other one. Then she tried to start telling me something about the other one I put my hand up two times and stopped her and said I really don't want to know thanks. I will continue to use that approach and not get into any of the gossip stuff. That way eventually it might stop or slow down all together. Grown woman I tell yah! My daughter says I would rather work with guys sometime I have to admit its easier but they have their issues too.The hubby and I went out for fish dinner last night I am not sure what hit me but my stomach went way off. I seem better now. Wow! Hopefully the rest of my weekend is okay. I did plan on kayaking in the morning sunday we'll see what the weather and my body is lIN. Judy hope things slow down for you. Where are you off to this time around? I did manage to go shopping for some healthy stuff before I felt yuk. So now I have no excuse I can make better choices and eat healthy. If I feel better tonight will be a grill night some meat and veggies. I am going to make some eggplant parm on sunday baked eggplant not fried. I have to work on the flower girl dresses tonight. Taking them in and putting some trim and ribbon on. It would be a good project to do and get out of the way. The wedding will be here before I know it. I am going to get my hair highlights done too. I want them done a couple of weeks ahead of time in case I want adjustments done. I am still trying to decide on how to wear my hair up or partially up or down and fluffed. So much to think about and before I know it just memories it will be. But I want it to be nice and beautiful for the day. I pray for a nice sunny beautiful day. Well talk to you all soon I plan on some gardening this weekend along with sewing exercise etc. Lots to do! Take care!

Judy- I am sorry you are in such a crummy mood. I hope you feel a bit better today.

Carol- I would be lost without you ladies. Very exciting that the wedding is fast approaching.

I have a mix of emotion that I am graduating tomorrow. I am kind of sad and lost and at the same time thought it would be a bigger deal. Tomorrow I plan to go off atkins for Dinner but right back on it Monday morning. We are going for Japeneses and I cant pass up the fried ice cream or sushi roll .


Nikki

Hi all, Thanks Nikki for starting the new thread. I didn't realize there was a limit to the number. I guess good to know. :?:

So tomorrow is the graduation. It is a big deal Nikki and we are very proud of you. Look at everything you've accomplished.

Penny, while I was being a chemist with my hair (hello Garnier Hair Color) I remembered something about vinegar rinse during my youth. I'm going to look into that. You could be right on the algecide - PVC pipes - but I swore I bought non-copper algecide. I will start the vinegar rinses again but for now the hair can't go swimming for a day or two. But it's not green anymore. :carrot:

Judy and Penny enjoy your get together. Carol, Judy's traveling to Oregon. Unfortunately I'm 5 hours south of Portland or I'd crash their get-together.

Carol, I hope you have the funnest time tomorrow kayaking. That's so great to go with a group (especially a young group that doesn't see that you're supposed to be "older". What a great compliment!!!

Yesterday skiing was great. DGS Mom and I had a lot of fun. A couple hiccups getting there, but we did have a great time. Here's a photo of me having a break while coming off the summit.

http://www.mariesdogs.info/images/marie_skiing.jpg (note the green jacket to match the green hair.):D

Because of the hiccups (south roads to the ski area were closed so we had to come from the north - Bend, OR) we stayed in Bend and went shopping. We bought loads and had a fun time. I didn't get home till 8:30 and I had dinner with DH so I didn't swim. :mad: But it allowed me to color my hair this am so that's okay. I will use the swimcap/conditioner setup to swim tomorrow (or maybe this afternoon if I live dangerously!!!)

Diet wise, doing so-so. I'm really not motivated but I'm not being bad either. I'll get going on it consistently sooner or later. As long as I'm so-so, I'm not gaining and that's all I really care about at this point.

Today I promised DH to weed wack. Oh. Loads of fun... :( Then I'm going to actually work on the Roman Shades for my sliding glass doors so that the sun doesn't fry my house (we took down the vertical blinds that Dear Kodiak liked to lift his leg on...) Devil Doggie...

No exercise so far today, but it's to be cooler so I'm going to take dear doggies walking. My legs are tired from yesterday. Skiing in slush is way harder on the legs then light powder. I'd never thought about that before but I guess it makes sense. Quite the workout yesterday. :o

Marie

Nikki - I hope you enjoy your Japanese meal - the fried ice cream sounds goooood! You deserve a treat. I'm sure you'll enjoy your graduation. Our son had a great sense of relief when it was all over. Now begins the next chapter of your life and I hope it will be a happy and fulfilling one.

Carol - I'm glad you like the idea of sending your mean coworkers to the vets to get "tutored" :devil:. They need to go to learn some manners! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that you have nice weather for the wedding. You must be getting really excited by now. I hope your back is feeling better. I think we both tend to overdo it with the gardening! I hope you have a great time kayaking and that the weather stays nice.

Marie - You look great in the photo. Your hair doesn't look green at all. It looks like you had good weather. Too bad you missed out on swimming but I'm sure you'll soon make up for it :swim:. Maybe Kody thought the vertical blinds were thin trees :lol:.

Judy - I'm looking forward to hopefully getting together with you tomorrow afternoon for a coffee. I hope your trip went smoothly.

I just got finished putting in some plants we bought at One Green World. They have a great website and sell by mail order if you're looking for something unusual. I bought an akebia vine and a new female kiwi. It turns out the one we have is an incompatible variety with the male. Let's hope this new arranged marriage works out and we get some little kiwis next year. Luckily they were having their annual sale so we got a good deal. I've also planted some foxgloves and delphiniums. I'm trying not to put in too many annuals as it's really a waste of money as they last such a short time. Our peonies, roses, and clematis are really looking gorgeous this year, probably because of all the rain we had this spring. I must say the bark dust really makes the flowers stand out. I'm doing quite well food-wise and have lost a pound, so I hope this is a trend.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Penny :bravo: on the missing pound!!! That's fabulous.

And I owe you a BIG THANKS!!! I researched the green hair in pool and you were 100% right that it's the copper doing my hair in. So out I went to the pump house and yes my algecide is copper based. Unfortunately I have a year's worth that I will now give away. On order is a year's worth of non-copper based and a metal remover (as well as other stuff). So hopefully that will sovle the problem. I just wish I came HERE before I colored my hair. I learned the vinegar rinses, baking soda pastes, tomoto paste, and other concoctions would have removed it. At least I know for the future. So again THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been a bum today other than cleaning a lot. I updated my website mariesdogs.info to put a skiing link with pictures on it. I guess I just had to play. Food has been munching on grape tomatoes (my latest addiction from costco) and cherries (also from costco). At least they're good for me.

DH didn't get the job he interviewed for so we're pretty bummed. :mad:

I'm still planning to take the doggies out but the day is slipping away. :D

TTYL.
Marie

Marie - Thanks for sharing your webpage with the pictures of your adorable grandson and your fur babies. The photos from your Alaska trip are incredible. I've heard a lot of good things about Alaska cruises - maybe we'll have to go and see for ourselves one day. I'm glad my tip about the algaecide came in handy. I hope the new kind works well for your pool. Sorry to hear your DH didn't get the job he wanted. I hope another good opportunity comes along for him.

I just got home from meeting with Judy in downtown Portland where we met for a coffee. We had a good long chat about everything from exercise to knitting. Judy is a lovely lady and I'm so glad I got a chance to meet her. Hopefully some of the other ladies on our thread will be able to meet up when our paths cross.

The weather here is so cold and rainy again. I wish the weather would make up it's mind which season it is!

Hi Ladies-

Marie-You look amazing. I don't know why but I pictured you as a brunette. Kind of funny the images we can make in our heads. I hope you are feeling less bummed today.

Penny- That must have been great to meet Judy. I am glad you two got that chance.

Well ladies I am a graduate !! It feels so good. Yesterday went pretty well. My mom and dad did not kill eachother lol. However, after spending a day with dad mom is in some nasty mood. Oh wells. I graduated with honourable mention for achieving a 3.7 GPA. It was very exciting. Last night I had the most delicious dinner. However, I only ate about a third of it and gave the rest away. This was my way to try and make sure I did not gain from it. I have a job perspective lined up so everyone keep your fingers crossed , candles lit or prayers going whichever you believe in. I can use all the positive vibes I can get. I started my July 4 challenge for myself. I lowered the lossto 10 pounds so I can meet it this time. I feel so good today I guess it is because I have all my non work time to myself. I am looking forward to doing alot of house cleaning. Getting rid of the old always makes me feel better.

:hug:
Nikki

Nikki - Congratulations on your graduation :congrat: :cheer2: I will send you lots of good vibes :yoga: for the job and keep my fingers and toes crossed :crossed:.

I need a challenge, so I'll join you for your July 4th goal, but I'm only going to aim for 5 lbs. I agree, Marie does look great - all that exercise she does is paying off!

Penny- Thanks I am glad you decided to join me :)

Nikki

:bravo::cb::dancer::goodvibes Okay Nikki, I couldn't decide which smilie to use so you got four. The last one, the good vibes is sent your way. I hope you find the right job for you.

Penny, sounds like you and Judy had a great coffee. I wish I'd been up in Portland yesterday. The Alaskan cruise was beautiful but I wouldn't do it again - it was chilly even at the end of July and there wasn't much to do except eat. I was lucky I only gained 3 pounds in the 7 days. All I did was eat, eat, eat. We're going back to Alaska in July but are flying and staying at an awesome lodge in Fairbanks. I'm so looking forward to Denali Natl Park and DH and I are going to snowshoe. Much better than eating non-stop.

Thanks for the compliments on the photo - I take very few decent photos that I had to share one that was good. :D

Have you ever noticed how easily a good mood can go to pot??? I was happy as a lark an hour and half ago. But then I decided that I could handle 1 hour of yard work (I hate yard work). So I weed whacked. The whacker wouldn't work right. The line wouldn't feed and by minute 50 it totally got screwed up. It is currently sitting in the middle of the driveway - where I threw it - yes I threw it. Then there was the other part - DH was joining me on the yard work. He picked up pine cones from BEYOND the yard. There's garbage (wood, housing stuff) stacked around the house and it looks trashy. I HATE it. But no, he picks up PINE CONES from where no one would ever see them???? :mad::mad::mad: So my mood has gone from good to pissed (sort of like Nikki's mom sounds like). At this point I'd like to go to work instead of having a day off.

BTWm I do feel better letting of steam.

So I'm going to work on improving my mood and I'll probably come back later.
Marie

Marie - I hope you got over your hissy fit over the pine cones by now! :lol: I know exactly what you mean. My DH mows down by the river, where you can't see it from the house and leaves the grass 6" high in the front and back yards. :shrug: I keep my mouth shut because I can't drive the tractor mower and I know what his answer would be! I hate our weed wacker, my arms vibrate for two days if I use it or the hedge trimmer, so I usually don't do those jobs. Oh the joys of country living! The pluses outweigh the minuses though and I still love it here. I'm going to have to wheedle my DH into getting the mole traps set soon before the little varmints take over the whole yard. The trip you're planning to Fairbanks sounds awesome - even better than your cruise. I'm afraid I'd blimp up if I took a cruise - too many eating opportunities!

Penny, I did recover a sense of humor. Actually writing and posting the post helped tremendously. DH and I took the dogs to Topsy (remote area by the Klamath River) and went hiking. We had a fabulous time. Then I swam 1/4 mile - I'm pooped. I even trusted DH to trim the ends of my hair. I had an appointment tomorrow but was scared she'd take too much off with the pool problems. So I got DH to trim it. I called to cancel the appt and the stylist is no longer there - so I guess it was canceled all along. BTW, my hair is so much better. The dead end removal helped and I am now doing a lemon rinse after swimming (wearing the swimcap and conditioner - no chances here).

Mole traps??? Icky!!!! I'd hate to empty them. I do agree about the joys of country living. It is worth it - just sometime frustrating. There's never an end to the jobs.

Have a good day tomorrow. I'll probably be busy at work since I had 2 days off. :)
Marie

Arrgh, I'm tired of fighting with the hotel's anemic wireless connetion! So this will be a quick note via the BlackBerry.

It was great to meet our Penny! It was the highlight of my trip so far.

I was doing well on the eating and workouts, but I think I overate today. But tomorrow will be better. I want to have a good weigh-in on Thursday morning, and a better on on Memorial Day.

Back when I can sit at a computer!

Judy

Judy- Good to see you. How long will you be on the road this time?


Marie-I'm not looking forward to the brittle hair from chlorine do you know how to fight that?


I am bumed out good. 14 days back on atkins and no loss this time around. This time first cycle I had lost 6 -7 pounds :(. I'm wondering if I'm cheatin somehow but don't realize it. I'm going to look back at my eating journal and try to follow it these next few days see if that helps.

Nikki

Marie good thing yah got a grip on the green problem. By the way nice photo. Funny how you have someone pictured differently. I had you with brown hair. Hah hah! Judy and Penny lucky duckies getting together how fun. I didn't make it kayaking it was to rain so it was canceled out. But this whole weekend I will be out there almost everyday at camp. Our first get away for the season. Penny wish we were closer we could exchange some plants. I have several gardens and this year their coming right along. My doctor took xrays and wants me to threapy. We'll see? Meanwhile I have some things that need to be finished a little at a time my daughters are helping me out. The coworkers are calm for a bit never know how long but never trust it staying wide eyed is smart not letting my guard down. Judy before you know it you will be back home again. Nikki a big congrats to you hurray what an accomplishment. Your parents should be very proud! The wt. thing is so tricky maybe your body is just adjusting a bit before it shows much of a loss again as long as no gain thats the biggy. Well good luck all and moles give them some gum balls down their little tunnels they chew it up and oh well guess what their not so healthy afterwards gone gone gone! Well just finished my evening snack a pria bar mint flavored choc. 110 cals an a good treat. Well watching my intake but no perfect today. Not a lot to eat just not the best choices for lunch and dinner. Well take care all.

Nikki, my stylist said to wet my hair, then add conditioner before going in the pool. Alas, it helps protect from the chlorine but as Penny said, not from the copper in the algecide. A lemon juice/water rinse is what I'm doing now to stave off the green. You can also use a vinegar/water rinse but I hate vinegar. Also a baking soda paste seems to work. Also always wahs your hair after swimming in a pool.

I'm sorry about the non-loss Nikki. I know how you feel, sort of. I didn't lose either but I've been so-so and not trying awfully hard like you. Thank goodness I exercise like a banshi or I'd be in trouble.

I did a 4 mile WATP this morning and this afternoon I swam a quarter mile. Tomorrow is a treadmill day so a bit more of a workout. No swimming as we're going to DS1, DGS and DGS's mom's house for a BBQ.

I think when I work year round (very soon) I'll be better off. I HATED going back to work today. I was bummed the whole day. I love the 4 day weekend but this was depressing. So I guess I'll survive the bump up in my contract come July 1.

Judy, I'm thinking of a Blackberry - who's your carrier and which one do you have. My DS1 has the pearl but I don't hink I'd like the keyboard. I want individual keys for each letter. What do you think???

I'm so glad Penny and Judy had a good time. It is so cool we're starting to meet each other. Wow. Although Penny is ahead in that she's met both Judy and me. :)

TTYL.
Marie

Marie - That was brave of you to let your DH trim your hair! I don't know what I'd look like if I let my hubby do the same. Maybe not so bad as he trims the hedge pretty good!

Judy - It must be hard posting from your Blackberry - I'm sure it takes much longer. I bet you're looking forward to being home and sleeping in your own bed.

Nikki - Don't worry about not losing this week. Your body is just making an adjustment and I'm sure you'll soon be losing again as you are very motivated.

Carol - I wish we lived closer too. I'd love to be able to exchange plants with you. That's funny about giving some gum balls to the moles :lol:. Sorry to hear your kyaking trip was canceled, but it wouldn't be much fun in the rain. Hopefully you'll get another chance soon.

I had a doctor's appointment this morning to look at an age spot on my face that didn't look normal and he did a biopsy. He also saw something a bit suspicious on my back and removed that for a biopsy too. I'll get the results next Thursday, so keep your fingers crossed for me. Afterwards I met with a few friends to tour the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens. It was lovely and a lot of the rhodies were still in bloom. They have about 8 acres and lots of waterfalls and ponds (kind of like a Japanese garden). Then we had a nice lunch and strolled around an antiques mall. Now I have lots of work to catch up on tonight, but it was worth it.

Whew. what a day! Busy, but I got in a little shopping. The Macy's in downtown Seattle had lots of great bargains in clearance. I will have to mail the excess home, I don't have the room in my suitcase. I will be home Wednesday night. I have been okay on food today, I think, and I did some cardio early this morning, and have done lots of walking.

Carol, moles blowing bubbles in their little tunnels is a funny image....what do you do about squirels?

Marie, my BlackBerry is from the 8700 series. This is my third BB (!). My second one was the precursor to the Pearl. The keyboard takes some getting used to, but some took to it like a duck to water. I prefer the "full" keyboard, althought he keys are smaller than Chiklets. Treos are good, too, maybe better, but I've never had one. My carrier is Cingular. They and T-Mobile have cornered the BB market in my area.

Nikki, it's the devil trying to make you throw in the towel. It never hurts to analyze your program, of course. Do what makes sense to you and the weight will give up and start to fall off again.

Penny, your trip to the gardens sounds so peaceful. What an nice way to hang out with friends. Let's hope that there's nothing to these mysterious spots.

Time to mostly pack, and do a little work before crawling into bed. Catch ya later.

judy

Marie your determined to ensure your not going to go green good for you. Keep up the exercise its going to pay off as it has in the past.
If we do things long enough that are good for us not only do we build in new habits for a life time but eventually they have to pay off. Nikki you have made lots of new changes look how far you have come. The rest will follow and you will look back soon and say wow that was well worth the effort. So keep going girl!
Penny hope everything works out well for you. I will be thinking of you and your testing. Wish we could exchange how cool would that be. I have the biggest hosta I have ever owned it has to be 3ft. by 3 ft. I think I will measure it for fun. Must like where it is I guess. Need to buy a few annuals that will bloom all summer long sunny ones are needed. I have a shade garden that has finally filled in nicely don't even need to mulch now hurray only took 10 years! Have you ever planted a Russian sage oh so pretty and grows about 2 ft. tall and wide. Nice show piece and smells good too.
Judy did you get to Pikes Market this trip? One of my favorite places to go. Sounds like you enjoyed shopping and bargains make the whole difference in the wallet. Good for you and I think having some new things always makes us happy. The crazy squirrels haven't been around quite as much with Bear running around. Guess he is a good in the yard to keep them away. Lots of pretty birds and those are welcomed til they try to eat my berries but Bear may chase them off to that will be okay we have an acre for them to fly around on. Judy have a safe trip and glad you got to walk and shop a bit beautiful place as I remember it. Did you see the bubblegum wall in the alley way by Pikes Market? Its a bit crazy but amazing at the same time. People do the funniest things at times and that was one of them. Well girls I am having my Kashi for breakfast and packing a salad for lunch and yogurt with frozen berries and walnuts. Thats my newest treat taking a yogurt putting in some frozen assorted berries and walnuts and layering it all I split it into two dishes one for lunch then save the other for dinner time etc. Nice treat and healthy too. Off to work and I need to write some reports so I am ahead of the game for next month with the wedding no time to mess around I have off over a weeks time. Oh my back feels better today I woke up feeling better than I have for weeks the Aleve is helping I take it at night plus 2 times during the day. Maybe I will not need PT it costs and that is never any fun.
Take care!

Aww thank you all for making me feel better. I think its possible my body is just reshaping. I am slihtly adjusting my diet this week to see if it helps. I know I will see a loss soon. I have got to go buy a pair of shorts today. I was avoiding it but it is going to be 90 tomorrow and friday and I will die if I have to wear jeans lol.

Marie- I used to put leave in conditioner in my hair before I swam. What you said reminded me of that. I will have to get a bottle of the spray leave in.

Penny- Fingers crossed that the results turn out good.

Carol-Great idea to get ahead before the wedding

Judy-when do you get to go home and rest a little? You seem to always be away for work.


I am thinking of sitting out in the sun today a bit and reading to destress.

Nikki

Nikki, I use full power conditioner before I swim. Humectress. That's just till it's gone, then I'll get something like pantene or something cheap that really still coats the hair. In other words, the spray/leave in type might not be strong enough. If you have light hair, going overboard protecting it is not a bad idea (said she 10 days late...). Good luck on the tweaks. Sometimes you just have to let your body be and get used to the lower weight before it will lose more.

Penny, I laughed at your comment. DH loves long hair. So I know he'll be careful and not take much. His love of long hair is an insurance policy. He'd hate it if he screwed up and I had to have it cut off. But the hedge comment was too funny. The garden/lunch sounds fabulous. Peaceful and pretty.

Carol, I'm glad your back is feeling better. I HATE when mine is sore. You feel fine otherwise so you want to be doing things but you can't. Somehow I missed you post about bubblegum and moles. Boy do I have a good image though. :)

Judy, I loved the Macy's in Seattle. Perhaps buying a cheap suitcase would be cheaper than shipping. when I was at Macy's it was anything but a bargain. I wish I could do all my shopping there. My purse is from there. Only place that had something I like. I'm picky about a purse - I had my last one 6 years - and this one looks just like it except a tab bigger so that the new, gargantuan Jeep key fits in - it didn't in the older one. I hope your trip home is safe and peaceful.

We're going to DS's place tonight. I just love the DGS and miss him. DH and DGS's mom and I are going to figure out when we're going to go to Mt. Hood skiing. Probably towards the end of June. Oooo, that's going to be fun.

I don't want to work (where I am now), but I suppose I should.

I could surf more on a BlackBerry. Judy, I talked to DH last night and I told him the difference between the Pearl and the 8700 and he agreed the 8700 was a better idea even though it's a bit more. I think he thinks I'm nuts for trading in my pretty pink razr. :)
Marie

Thanks for all your good vibes for my test results. The waiting is always the worst part.

I just planted some nasturtium seeds. I had forgotten how pretty they are and easy to grow. I have a hard time walking past the garden section at Freddies! I'm looking for a wrought iron arbor for a climbing rose I want to train over a path. You see them in lots of gardens, but they aren't that easy to find.

The weather has warmed up again so I can put away my winter woolies - again! :dizzy:

I've been pretty good with my calories today so far but I didn't go to Curves. Maybe I'll go tomorrow instead. My back is still acting up from my last bout of gardening. I guess almost all of us have bad backs on this thread! I can sympathize with you all - it doesn't slow us down much though, does it?

I hope everyone is having a good Wednesday.

Well packing for the weekend trip off to camping in the woods. I purchased a life jacket last night and my water sandals. The kayak is already on top of the camper. I still need to purchase a rack for my car maybe in July. The wedding cost is gone up a bit as it always does last min. things etc. It will all be fine. Always my last famous words. I am having a bowl of cereal this a.m. as we are having a lunchoen for birthdays today. Oh that coworker decided to come in for the day. I am glad as I think sometimes people need to just get on with their lifes and stop all this silly junk! Not that my eyes won't remain open because that will never change the scars are there to remind me to becareful. I am happy to have friday off and the long weekend ahead. Penny when do your results come in? My daughter was concerned over a tissue mass she found on her self. After some testing it came back as extra skin buildup do to her being so thin she can just feel it etc. They will reck in 6 months to ensure their correct. But that was good news she takes after her Dad's side for being little. But I am dressed in my new capris and their a 10 and it feels good. I still have not done the scale just guessing and checking myself with the clothes and rings maybe next week I will take a look. Oh well it seems to be working when the doc did my wt I didn't even look. Must of been ok no comment. I go back in a few weeks for a blood test I will see then. Judy are you back home from your trip. I am jealous as that is one of my favorite spots. I am waking up feeling so much better now a little sore but I can move the Aleve seems to be helping. Well lets see after this weekend I have waited to long to give up my kayaking. Getting close to nature this weekend will be a blast. Maybe I will post a picture for you all. Well take care stay greenless Marie but enjoy that pool. Nikki oh shorts time forsure show off that wt. you lost how proud we are of you. Penny playing in the garden is something next week I need to finish. I have some seeds to put in and a veggie garden to start. Oh too much always to do. Have a good long weekend everyone!

Morning Ladies-

Marie- That makes sense about the conditioner. I have dark brown some argue black hair. So I don't need to worry about the sun wit my hair just the chlorine makin it brittle.

Penny-I'd love to see some pictures of your garden when it blooms. I too am putting away the winter clothes this week.

Carol- It sounds like things for the wedding are moving right along. Enjoy your camping trip.

Judy- I hope you are getting to relax a bit.

So I went shopping yesterday and it was odd 10's are to big 8's don't quite fit in some and when they fit I did not like the way they look. A skirt was big in a size 6 and the 4 fit perfect. I bought one pair of shorts in a 10 knowing in a week I won't be able to wear them because they will be to big. Oh well ! Today I peeked at the scale and I am finally seeing a loss. It says I am down to 152. I won't change my ticker til next week though.


Nikki

Congrats on the loss Nikki, you are doing so great. Clothes sizes are such a pain. One would think that the manufacturers would want to have some uniformness to them so that people aren't always having to return an item because it doesn't fit. I know I get mad and won't buy a brand again if it's a hassle.

Carol, I hope your camping is great. The kayaking will be great fun.

Penny, definitely post your garden pictures - sounds like your yard is wonderful. I hope your back gets better quickly.

Judy, hope you're doing good.

I got up at 4 this morning so I exercised and am surfing before work. The scale was evil but I feel bloated and am darn sure I didn't gain 3 pounds of fat since Tuesday - or am a sleep eater and since I'm hungry in the mornings I don't think that's the case. :)

Judy, I'm getting my elves out and will be trekking across the mountain tomorrow morning for some quick shopping. I did buy a new phone - the t-mobile wing. It's a brand new on and was a bit pricey but I will like it. I'll try out the internet today (probably at work). :)

Talk to you later.
Marie

Hooray, it's the long weekend :sunny: Wednesday was long and tedious, and I didn't get home until just before 2AM Thursday morning. I slept in and went to work in the afternoon. Today I feel almost human again. It feels like summer here, which is nice after feeling cold and damp out in Penny and Marie's beautiful part of the world! It will be a weekend of chores and catching up with friends, Netflix and reading. I walked for 25 minutes this morning, but otherwise I haven't worked out since Tuesday--too sleepy and tired. I'm looking forward to doing a short workout tonight, and resuming my schedule.

Carol, I hope you're having fun out there in the woods!

Nikki, I knew the scale was just messin' with you :goodscale . I'm having a similar issue with clothes. The scale is inching downward very slowly, but some of my pants are too big. I bought size 18 pants this week without trying them on (really good quality, only $9) to wear in a few months but as it turns out they almost fit me now.

Penny, I hope that your back is recovering, I wonder if there's special exercises and stretches for home gardeners? Hmmm, there's a book idea :chin: . If you use it, please remember me in the acknowledgements.

Marie, I hope you like your Wing. I'm not a big techie, but I have been very attached to electronic organizers for the last ten years, they are more important to me than the phone functions.

Later--judy

Carol - I hope you have a great weekend camping and kyaking. Enjoy wearing your new capris. I'm looking forward to seeing your picture when you post it - maybe one of you in your kyak. I get my results next Thursday - thanks for asking.

Nikki - Congratulations on your loss. It must be so nice fitting into the smaller sizes, especially with the warmer weather coming. As far as our challenge - I weighed the same on Friday, but have only been on the challenge for a few days so hopefully I'll show a loss by next Friday. I'll post some garden photos when the peonies are in bloom in about a week.

Marie - You and Judy are the Gadget Queens. I don't even know what a t-mobil wing is! I hope you enjoy using your new toy. Have fun trekking with your elves. :lol:

Judy - I hope you enjoy your much deserved down time this weekend. The weather warmed up after you left. I hope you get better weather next time you're over this way. I'm glad you found some nice pants. It's always good to find clothes that fit well - especially if it's a bargain.

We're going to a big garden center tomorrow. I want to get some more foxgloves and some shade plants. I bought a new hummingbird feeder today - those little guys are so spoilt around here.

I hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend.

I'm in a good mood today :D . Besides enjoying the slow pace of a long weekend, I finally started going through my old clothes. And my summer work shirts from several years ago fit again, hooray. So all I need is one more pair of summer shoes and I can stop thinking about clothes for a while. I'm annoyed that the scale isn't moving faster, but I know that it will catch up with reality any minute now. I was planning to change my ticker, but the 3FC site is being worked on so I'll have to wait another day or two.

I managed not to gain any weight on the road, which is a rarity! And I have conquered the evening munchies, at least for now. Mixing up my workouts with the cardio machines has helped, along with sticking to the meditation and the self-hypnosis. This week I will experiment with reintroducing fruit and the occasional whole grain into my diet. A few pieces of summer clothing that I'm just a few pounds away from wearing are prominently placed in my bedroom as reminders of how important it is to stay with the program.

I'm catching up with friends and chores this weekend, and enjoying the heck out of not having to do anything if I don't want to! My apartment has felt cluttered and junky lately, so I'm taking advantage of my good energy to purge clothes, knickknacks, old bottles of dried-up glue, etc. Just seeing a few more clean surfaces is calming.

Penny, hanging out with flowers and hummingbirds sounds lovely. It feels like full summer here already--upper 80s and humid--so I forgive you for not hooking up the weather for me while I was out west.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend--judy

Judy- Congrats on maintaining and fitting into old clothes again. I can imagine you are enjoyin yourself not having to do anything.

Penny-Maintaining is good give it awhile to kick in.

I managed to get past some major ice cream cravings this weekend. I felt like everywhere I went they were serving soft ice cream. My boyfriend helped immensly telling me how much I would regret it and that it would only taste good for a minute. I am back to drinking my water today and hoping to see a loss wednesday.

Happy Memorial day
Nikki

Girls what a great weekend. I kayaked for appox. 5.5 hrs total for the weekend. It was really cool and I could do it by myself so it was peaceful just nature and me. I also went to the rock beach which was quite a walk. But I ate like a hungry bear so wt. loss most likely none to report but I feel good and have a tan and a little burn. But other than my back hurting this a.m. in good shape I think. I didn't find my Aleve bottle from camping and now I know I should have looked harder for it. Oh well on my way to work I will stop to grab something for it. Getting in and out of the kayak isn't so easy as its very low. Thank goodness for a little seat that blows up for better comfort. I now know the deal I got for this boat was real sweet. The guy called last night to see how I did. I told him I love it. I went up streams which curved etc. I was feeling pretty confident by the time I left camp. I think its going to be a good source of relaxation for me. Which I need. My hubby was getting a bit grumpy as his illness sometimes makes him. I just said see yah in a bit took off in my boat and relaxed with nature watching the two swans as they prepared their nest. We visited the cookie factory its a camp with large wooden post which have craved elfs and fairies. The lady has had this place since my kids were very little. She bakes all the cookies on site and has huge clear jars of all sorts of cookies. You go in and help yourself. The pms choc. cookies with mint frosting and mint chips those are my favorite. Good thing I burned calories huh? Well Judy sounds like you had a good weekend. Nikki congrats to you. Penny hope the tests results are fine. Marie I guess you must of enjoyed the pool huh? The kids were in my sisters in ground pool yesterday just having a blast but no adults went in side line watching. Well take care and Judy I am going back onto South Beach starting tonight. Already had some cinnamon bread for breakfast I did think it helped with cravings and the book said you can go back to stage one any time I think I skipped over 2 a little to fast and back to normal stuff entirly. But the wedding is in about 24 days so now or never. Tonight I am working on the flower girls dresses I promised to get them done this week and I will. Just a little taking in on the sides and some trim put on. No good pictures of me this weekend but I had wished my camera was on board when my girl friends tipped over the canoe. They were only in a few feet of water but it went quick and was quite a good picture. Hah hah! Oh sorry I have a sick sort of sense of humor at times. I am off to work girls.

Hi all, I'm very frustrated with 3FC since they changed servers. I wrote a post last night and it just spins saying it's "posting". It never does. So I emailed it to work and tried from here. Does the same thing. So I give up. I will try writing again later.
Marie

Marie your post showed about the post not posting last night

Carol, I'm so glad you had fun! "PMS cookies"--what a great idea! See you on the Beach.

Nikki, this weather (and the opening of the summer season) screams ice cream. I love rich soft-serve ice cream, and especially old-fashioned frozen custard and malteds...yum, yum...maybe my growing lactose issue is a blessing in disguise, I don't much want to act on the cravings, or a small amount will do. When I was a kid, my family could do some serious damage at the Dairy Queen!

Penny, I hope you're feeling well, and had a nice time with the flowering plants. And Marie...come back!

My weight's settling a little higher than I hoped, but I went ahead and changed my ticker, with Independence Day in mind. I think I've finally got a little momentum going here, so my July 4 goal will be 218 or better.

judy

Judy - Congratulations for not gaining while you were on the road. It's very hard to stay on plan when you're away from home and your usual routine. I'm glad you had a relaxing weekend and had a chance to do some 'spring cleaning'. Good luck for your July 4th goal.

Nikki - I get an ice cream craving about this time of the year when the weather starts getting warmer. I'm looking forward to going to our favorite ice cream parlour on the coast soon. I only eat ice cream about twice a year but it has to be really good - no low fat stuff! A nice long stroll on the beach should burn off the extra calories.

Carol - I'm glad you had fun kyaking. Those PMS cookies sound like they would cheer a person up. That cookie factory sounds so quaint (but dangerous). I hope your back soon feels better. Mine is doing much better but I'm thinking of getting more bark dust on the weekend so I'll have to be careful I don't overdo it again. The bark dust is working very well to keep the weeds down on the beds I've spread it on so far.

Marie - Sorry to hear about your posting woes. I hope you had a good weekend.

I went to my yoga class today after missing two lessons. It felt so good to stretch. This time last week I couldn't have touched my toes! Our yoga instructor also does acupuncture, so I'm thinking of getting it done on my ankle. It's going to be 92 deg. here tomorrow so I'll have to get my work done early as my office is upstairs and it gets like an oven. We're getting central air installed next month, so that will make life easier on the hot days.

Penny we are due to get the 90's on thurs and fri. I plan another trip out this weekend to kyak that will help burn some cals and flab on my arms. Bark dust we call ours bark or mulch are we talking about the same thing. Most likely. I bought a tree from the nursery for $2.00 normally 29 to nurse back to health again for years of beauty I am sure. Do you have hens and chicken plants there? I purchased a huge huge one it was at least 10" wide in a circle with little ones coming. I gave it away to my daughter for her birthday on friday. She loves it and it was the last one there so I will wait for a slip of it. Enjoy but becareful of your back. The ice cream topic its tough. We all love it. I was told years ago by a nutritionist whom was helping me learn about chol. triy. etc. told me to skip lunch and have a hot fudge instead. It makes sense to change out the cals instead of having both and feeling satisfied. Marie I haven't run into that problem but it must be frustrating as all heck! Sometimes I have trouble just finding the thread. So come back Marie! Judy good for you on the loss and staying focused see you on the beach today. I am starting my day off with poached eggs and some toast. I will get all the way on by thurs. gradual break in for me. I stopped to get a trim last night and ended up with a dye job. Hah hah! Guess I felt the need for a little make over. We also talked about styles for the wedding which is coming fast. I am a bit worried that if it is a 90 degree day my jacket will roast me even for a short period of time. I think I may look today just for fun to see whats out there for dresses again. Still have the tags on mine. Maybe just a nice shawl would work? Oh we will see. I spoke with my daughter in law and they aren't arriving until 5 so no facial for her. I might have to get it instead wow facial, nails toes a whole new me. That is the day before the wedding spa day instead of a girls drinking party my DD doesn't drink at all nor does her man. My DIL and I had a lovely talk. Well take care and be good!

Judy - I am happy you are on the path for July 4:) Momentum is awesome.

Carol-I use to do the meal swap before atkins and it does work. Now with Atkins though I can't do it. However, if I can get my hand on some heavy cream I can make a homemadeice cream I can eat.

Penny-Central air sounds like a blessing. Good going on your yoga class. I love to stretch.


I am weighing in 2 times this week. Once today and once Friday. Reason is that Friday - Sun I am going to eat some carbs so I get the cravings gone. My weigh in today was exciting I lost 4 lbs and weigh 150. By Friday I am expecting to see 148. I never thought I would see 150 I am so psyched. It has probably been about 7 years since I weighed this little.

Hang in there everyone.
Nikki