Marie - Have you decided on whether to add to your doggie family yet? Are there many husky breeders near you? It would be interesting to see how your other pups would react. Dogs seem to like being in a "pack" so they probably think "the more the merrier". Your dogs seem to be the best "exercise machine" ever invented, since you're out there with them in the worst of weather almost every day.

Carol - Maybe you had a subconscious wish not to go to your docs appointment? I know you're open to trying alternative treatments, so I hope you'll find something that works so you don't need to go on meds. My DH's bp was consistently 150/110 and since he's been taking a supplement containing Rauwolfia and Hawthorne (as well as several other herbs) it's stayed down at around 125/80 for the past six months (he measures it every day because he can hardly believe it!) It's called Heart Tension and is made by Mountain Peak Nutritionals in Portland, OR. They have a website where you can read about their products. You can only buy them through a Naturopath though. Both of us increased our "good" HDL cholesterol by taking Resveratrol (made from red wine) and Fish Oil. Maybe you could run these by your doctor or find a good Naturopath.

You must have burned off a lot of calories in HI to make up for those yummy buffets! One of these days I'm going to do some kayaking (maybe after I've lost another 20 lbs.!) The river bank is a bit too high on our property, but we have access to the river around the corner and several of our neighbors have kayaks. It's a bit tricky as there are lots of submerged logs, but it's a very slow river in summer. Maybe I should have that as one of my weight-loss goals!

Elyn & Judy - I hope things are going well for you.

They are starting on our patio and new garage next Monday, so that's exciting. The builder reckons they'll be finished by the middle of May. I'm going to put in a couple of new flower beds to finish it off nicely. I'm staying on track and I'm looking forward to starting to work out again on Monday.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I wish I could say TGIF, but I'll have to put in a full day on Saturday, which takes some of the luster off my Friday :(. I don't want to go into it here, so I'll just say that I'd rather not have an assistant at all if I can't count on her to understand and follow instructions. I'm afraid she's dug a hole for herself so deep that I'll have no choice but to let her go next month. Makes me miss being a consultant! I'd work all weekend, but I have to finish up my financial paperwork to prepare for my homebuyer intake interview on Tuesday.

The scale zoomed up a few pounds this morning. I've been eating a lot of packaged food, and meals away from home, so I think that part of it's salt, and the rest is a combination of bigger portions (when you eat out) and not being able to do as many minutes of exercise as I was earlier in the month, due to the crunch at work. I'll do my best to bring it back down around 213 by Tuesday's Stickk weigh-in.

I did a 45-minute cardio workout this morning. Kefir for b'fast (on the run!), string cheese and 2 clemtines for AM snack; salad w/tuna and egg for lunch; tofu and nuts for late afternoon snack. A friend is in town and wants to have dinner--the third social outing this week, another reason for the temporary gain. He's a big guy and a hearty eater, but I'm picking the place, so no excuses!

judy

Everyone sounds like they're in a good place these days, good for you! We're all ready to blossom like the flowers!

judy

Penny I am going to ck that out. I only had blood work today and the follow up is scheduled for the 6th. Making homemade pizza for dinner but I can control what goes on that. I bought lots of ck breast to stick in the freezer with prices going up yah have to take advantage of the sales I guess and only buy whats on sale or needed. I am going to stock up real good cause its going to be a crazy yr. I think. Well I think that should be a goal for you Penny. I am telling you if you enjoy the outdoors and nature its for you. The boats are not too pricey and your worth every cent. Take care.
Judy hope your doing well today thank goodness it is friday. Its been a wild week with catching up and being off 2 days for the conference. The buffet there was pretty health wise which was nice everyday salmon or some type of fish. We had lunch size plates so no one over did too badly. The desserts yah just were careful to take a half of piece instead of over doing. I did go out for lunch today but my breakfast after my blood work was only a banana and a fiber bar. Not too bad under 300. So the clam chowder made up the cals. I bought some healthy veggies and fruits to have on hand that always helps when something is quick to grab instead of naught stuff.
I had a nice comment from a lady today telling me how well I looked in my outfit jean capris , yellow top and jean jacket. I heard her tell a friend if I looked that good BY 8 in the morning I would think I died and went to heaven. I laughed to myself thinking oh its got to be the dark tan !!! Better get one every year..... It was nice and felt great. I do feel I need to get the abs going again Maybe I could pay someone daily to say nice things to me hah hah!
Take care and enjoy your weekend.

Elyn congrats on the loss it all adds up. My chol. is on the borderline so I take Tricor which also helps with my tri's too. I think this gal needs to really get back into only whole wheat breads I have slipped a bit in that area. I didn't do too bad at my conference as its always so tempting. The first night there was most likely the worst. I ate at a buffet that smelled wonderful thought we were going to get some really healthy choices with seafood. It was awful but yah know how you keep trying things to think somethings got to be good well all those cals add up. Before yah know it wow. My dinner last night was good I should of made my pizza with whole wheat dough but didn't. No meat on my area just veggies it was really tasty. Next time we are going to grill a pizza with lots of veggies etc.. Sounds like something fun to do and healthy too in normal portions. Tonight I am going to grill chicken and have a salad and broc. Preplanning makes a difference for me. No dessert last night. My friend whom comes over for dinner with her family we usually have dessert but opted not to last night. Well gotta go make breakfast kasha and a splash of milk. I am journaling my intakes again it helps and will add exercise as well on the log. Have a great day.

So much for putting in a full Saturday at the office! I poked around at home, did a long workout and finally got to work after 1PM. But I'm physically so exhausted from the workout (and hour of stability ball cardio and strengthening) that my thighs are limp and I can't stop yawning :yawn:. Guess I'll be back on Sunday :(.

I stopped at Filene's on my way in to buy summer-weight black pants, since most of my pants are too big. I found two nice pairs of slacks for work in the clearance rack, so I'm pleased.

Dinner last night was fun. I chose an Asian fusion place, and ordered veggie soup, beef satay and steamed veggies. Don't get excited--I also had one drink (bourbon on the rocks) and a little green tea ice cream. I'm back to my normal program today.

Elyn, congrats on taking off two lbs already :bravo:. So you're another dog person! No pets for me. I do well to keep a few houseplants alive.

Carol, that was a lovely compliment! I'm with you that pre-planning makes all the difference. I go through phases when I really resent not being spontaneous about food, but I have to admit that I see results when I think and plan ahead.

Penny, good luck with the new patio and garage. And I hope you get start working out again on Monday! Soon your legs will be both sleek and pain-free.

Marie, I hope you're having a great weekend.

Okay, time to figure out the best use of my time. I think I'll install my new Blackberry software, and give up at the office, and plan to work on this big writing project at home on Sunday. My brain and body are as slow as molasses this afternoon!

judy

Judy congrats on the big pants hurray isn't that what we are all working towards? Hope you had better luck shopping than me. I went before my conference to 3 stores came home with nothing some of the styles are just yuk and the way they look. I can't bring myself to even try on some of them. Guess I will stick to the basics this year just purchased new tee tops v neck and scooped before my trip. I even am thinking of making a couple of simple skirts. We'll see. Hope the fall clothes inspire me a bit more. Is anyone else having these issues maybe its just me?
I am starting my journal today and my exercise schedule as well. Gonna make some changes and get it all together to hopefully see some changes in my body!!! Preplanning helps me. I put together a lovely salad for lunch today with some grilled ck from yesterday and lettuce, macorni salad made w/tuna. The pasta is the better for us pasta and yah know its a little thicker but I don't see a real difference in the taste so thats a plus. I will try to ck in again later so I can stay on task and start really motivating myself.

Carol, I think that lots of today's styles are either frumpy or for teen-agers, particularly the larger sizes. Of course, years ago, we didn't even have the second category, so I guess that's an improvement :D. Except for "play" clothes, I tend to like classic styles and fabrics, and a few trendy or funkier blouses or accessories. I hope you are feeling good about how your new week is starting.

I'm having the most tedious day ever! I took my project home to work on Sunday but I didn't get much done. So I'm plugging away again today, after our internal deadline, and trying not to worry about some management issues that I'll have to address over the next few weeks. It's cold, dark and rainy, which is good for the flowers but not helping my mood.

So far today I've had a protein shake for b'fast, oatmeal for AM snack, a big salad w/tuna for lunch, and half an apple and string cheese at 4 PM. I'm having ham, cabbage and mixed veggies for dinner. I only had time for a 20-minute cardio workout this morning, so I'd like to do a full workout this evening. My weigh-in is tomorrow. I was annoyed that my weight's been running 2-3 pounds higher than at this time last week, but this morning I figured out that TOM will be starting in few days, and I was relieved. I'm on track to be under 210 by Memorial Day weekend.

Hope everyone is doing well!

judy

Judy - Congrats on the smaller pants size! Isn't it great when our clothes get too big? :carrot: That "Asian fusion" place sounds good! I hope your work will be bit less tedious for the rest of the week.

Carol - I'm not enjoying the new fashions much either. It seems there's a lot of garish patterns and most of the new style tops look like maternity wear to me! Good for you starting a journal. I always find that helps when I need inspiration.

Marie - I expect you've been a bit concerned about the earthquakes in Reno. I hope they are not centered near your DS & family. I remember the earth rocking and rolling quite often when we lived in California.

Elyn - I hope you're having a good Monday.

I've been in a "war zone" here with jackhammers and a huge bobcat tearing up our old patio and path. They are amazingly efficient at what they do and have already almost finished the wooden structure of the new area. If the weather cooperates, they may be able to pour the concrete aggregate on Thursday. They have already dug out the footings for our 40' long retaining wall on the side yard. My DH left this morning for Baltimore for 3 days (good planning eh?) Luckily, he was here for and hour or so when they first started to straighten out some technical things with the foreman.

For lunch I had some left over chicken & rice from our lunch at Applebee's yesterday. It's a good thing I didn't eat the whole meal at once as I looked up the calories and it's over 1,000! I made some fresh spinach to go with it and I'll just have some cottage cheese & fruit for dinner.

Just a quick note. Work load right now is off the wall crazy. My vacation and conference time is showing up with the end of our lovely month. I am running around like a chicken with its head cut off hah hah! But wow was it worth it all! I am trying hard not to complain just doing what needs to be done. The boss did ask for my assistance training a new girl yesterday but saw the look on my face and said you got a lot going on just ck in on her okay? Yes sir ree... I worked over 2 hrs. over yesterday. One human bite and sent the girl to ER. Also one in the hospital then released for chest pain.... on top of all my other demands say CRAZY MONDAY!!! Well food wise straved when I arrived home but did okay. With in my limits. Catch up later if I can.

Carol, your week sounds like mine, but without the medical complications :D. Besides the busy-ness, there are some difficult conversations coming up on the management level that I'm not looking forward to. But my appointment with the housing folks went well. My credit score is much better than I was expecting--over 700--but having no savings to speak of at this moment isn't so good. We'll see what options they come up with, but I feel confident that we can make it work.

Penny, I hope the contractors aren't starting too early in the morning! Those machines always sound louder somehow before 9AM. Your Applebee's calorie count is sobering. No wonder restaurants don't want to post nutritional information.

I did a 45-minute stability ball workout this morning, had oatmeal and smoked salmon for b'fast, and steamed scallops and sauteed spinach at a lunch meeting. I'll have half an apple and a string cheese for late afternoon snack, and seafood soup for dinner. Hmmm, a fishy day.

I was disappointed that I'm still at 215 today, for my official weekly weigh-in. Oh well, next week's loss will look that much more dramatic!

I hope that everyone is doing well today.

judy

Had a hectic weekend.

Some friends came over for dinner saturday, so had to tidy up.
Then of course had to prepare dinner, etc.

Sunday, we went to my mother in law for dinner.

So, all the amount of food and wine which is I have consumed have probably done a lot of damage.:(:mad: I don't dare to step on a scale. I probably have gained the 2# that I lost last week.:(
Oh well, time to get back on line again.

Yesterday, I realized that I have to renew my RN license by April 30 and I don't have any CEU credits, so I purchased some home study courses online. I'm not quite done yet, but I'm getting there.
I don't know why I bother to maintain my license. I haven't been in the work force for many, many years.

Judy~ are you in the market for a house?
Congrats on the smaller pants size.:bravo:

Carol~ I hope your work load will ease up the rest of the week.

Penny~ I'm sure you'll soon forget all about the jackhammers and huge bobcat!:dizzy:

I have to finish my home study courses. So talk to you guys later.:wave:

Hi all,

I'm back. What a bunch of hectic days. Well, Kai Pixie Bear (age 8 weeks) officially joined my family on Saturday. I got her in Portland. Penny I was in your neck of the woods at 9:15 Friday night and was gone by 9:00 on Saturday morning. I figured those hours probably didn't work too well into your schedule. Although I'd have loved to get together. Someday....

Kai is an adorable Siberian Husky and is the BEST doggie car traveler I've ever had. That was good as I did the 300 mile trip by myself. If she'd howled like Kodiak the entire time, I'd have been nuts. We listened to an audiobook. OK, I listened and she slept or snuggled. Today she has her first vet appointment with our vet. I paid for full breeding rights so someday, maybe I'll be able to fulfill that dream. So far, Goldilocks and Blizzard weren't ideal health wise so I'd spayed them. Try, try again.

Work is so hectic, I am getting dizzy. Kai makes homelife hectic. I swear they're like a newborn.

Exercise wise - still on track. Kodiak got hurt on Sunday so he's recovering so I've used the treadmill.

Food wise - right on track. I realized this is the longest I've stayed on track without weighing myself. For me, apperently the trick is logging every morsel.

Penny, the construction sounds so relaxing. ;) I agree about the styles looking like materinty tops. I hate the gather right under the breasts. That's the last thing I'd wear.

Judy, congrats on the good credit score. You shouldn't hae any problem getting a pre-approved home loan. Owning your own place will be very nice. Good luck on getting the pesky salty pounds off.

Carol, I make my clothes when I hate the fashions in the stores. I'd prefer to buy as it's no longer a cost saver to sew, but if you can't find what you want... I dislike sewing because you can't try it on before paying for the item. If it's too small or big, I'm usually pretty mad. :)

Elyn, sounds like you had a full weekend. Those 2 pounds are probably water weight.

Well, back to work.
Marie

Elyn sometimes when you have worked so hard for a degree keeping it is just worth it yah never know when it might come in handy.
Judy good for you on the credit score. I hope it all works out if you buy try and get your taxes added in so no suprises there come up afterwards. Also sometimes they tell you that no lawyer is needed and I surely think the extra funds spent on that are more than worth it. Closing cost I think can be written off on your taxes the first year??? At any rate a gal at work did it with out a lawyer and it wasn't so good. So leave things like that to the people whom are used to it everyday and their suppose to look out for you. Good luck.
Girls I am so glad you all remarked on the clothes in the stores I thought maybe it was just me.
Well so so on the food front today it could of been better once this business at work is caught up I will get to the gym. Only one real food no no and that was garlic pizza for lunch. The rest of the day wasn't bad no never ending foods. Well take care.

Marie I forgot to congrat you and the hubby on your newborn. How sweet and hopefully your dream will come true and later on pups will follow. How fun would that be and cute. The miles were worth it I am sure. They say dogs are the best exercise buddies for walking their always waiting to go never say no or not today most of the time except mine with rain or heavy snow fall. If you don't want to go they push you as now its their routine. So now you have 3 correct? I am trying to get better in the food dept. This a.m. a friend asked me to go for breakfast but I said not this week. I instead had kashi crunch added a little walnuts, dried cranberries just a few and a splash of milk. Not much of a milk drinker. But I love yogurt and ch. etc. It was good and I had a piece of flax seed grain toast. High in fiber breakfast. For lunch I have packed salad with plain tuna, lettuce, grapes, red pepper and will follow up with a half of grapefruit the other 1/2 for a snack. Ck breast are marinating for the grill and veggies too. So I am preplanning today and already called my buddy to walk the lake right after work. So I am on a roll hurray and it feels good to have a goal set for myself today. Maybe I need to set one daily instead of weekly for right now. One step at a time. I finally got my HI pictures on a CD yesterday and printed up some of course I had over 200. My GS is so darn sweet and how I miss him already. My oldest GS scored a 4 on the NYState Social Studies exam I am very proud of him. This is a kid whom struggles with dslxya. Think I spelled that one wrong maybe gram has it too???? Well have a super day everyone the sun is shining this am and it was a beautiful sunrise but will only be 50 today. I will be taking a sweat shirt for my walk.