Hi, chickies--

This might be my last post for a while, so read it slowly and savor it . I was up very late last night, sorta packing (making huge piles, whittling them down, and then adding to them again) and watching the All-Star Game. So while I have a tremendous amount to do today, I'm sleepy as all get-out, and I know that I'll be up late again tonight, followed by a very early shuttle ride to the farthest airport (Baltimore) to fly to Vermont.

Sherri, I understand wanting to have "safe space." I've said things here about my job, for example, that aren't so terrible, but I wouldn't want my co-workers to see. I live outside Washington, DC, and work for a small national nonprofit group. I'm single (and not looking, although beginning to feel a little wistful), no pets or other roommates. I've been doing variations of lower-carbs for a few years, and slowly, slowly slowly taking the weight off, with the help of workouts and this thread. Thanks to you, I've been humming "Daydream Believer" and "Last Train to Clarksville" all afternoon!

Carol, things on the job are hectic, but all I can do is push through and not waste a lot of energy on negativity. I have several weeks of vacation time that I'm thinking about using in December and January. So when I look at my calendar and panic, I think about long stretches of time away. Anyway, I hope you earn several smiley faces this week.

Marie, you sound like you're doing well, despite the crunchy air. Your part of the world is so beautiful, I envy your access to the mountains.

Penny, good luck with your surgery. I'll be thinking of you.

I'll drop in again as soon as I can, but it might not be for a week or so.

Hang in there, ladies!

judy

Just a quick check in for me. I've been rushing around getting last minutes things done before my surgery tomorrow.

Good news is I'm officially down another pound . So I can now change my ticker from 192 to 191. I'm getting closer to the elusive 185 lbs. that I weighed last September.

I'll check back in as soon as I can - probably early next week.

Hi everyone!

Penny, I'm not hip to your story, but congrats on the 1 lb, and good luck with your surgery!

Judy, you hit the nail on the head in regards to the anonymity. I just want to be able to say what I want to say, without worrying who may read it. Even with not saying anything too bad, you just never know how someone will take something... (And Last Train to Clarksville was my very first favorite Monkees song!)

Marie, I had to laugh about work having the cell phone number... A former co-worker of mine put my # in the rolodex, and then the boss kept calling my cell, even after I had moved on to another job (which turned out to be temporary). When I went back to the old company 2 months later, I removed my cell # from the rolodex right away! The way I see it is that they can call me at home if they must, but I'm not paying for the calls!!!

Carol, my pasta sauce recipe isn't very formal. I just fill the crockpot with whatever appropriate veggies I have on hand- this time it was onions, mushrooms, and shredded carrots), then throw in a couple cans of crushed tomatoes and some tomato paste, some Italian seasoning and either real garlic or garlic powder. I let it cook all day, so it's nice and soft. I guess that's why my nephew didn't object. Mmmmm, it was good!

We're supposed to have brutal heat and humidity tomorrow, so it may just be a nice cool salad day! Hope everyone has a good one!

Well hurrah we hired someone and she works in the other company right next door. Thats why it was tough for the word to come out. She is in her 30's so I am pleased with that. Nothing against the younger population but when they come it that is a given this is just a stepping stone for them. One girl we hired has her masters and let me tell yah she has a bit of an edge and us seniors in the dept don't know nothing is the feeling I get. So the boss and I took a little stroll yesterday and I told her this gives the office a nice balance. Then said she seems very nice and then she told me yes and the long stay is what is wanted by her. So maybe we can keep some folks for awhile. I know that givingup the 3 extras I have been helping with will be a pleasure.
On the exercise part did lots of walking stairs and hallways yesterday just really tired last night and my knee was swollen a bit could of been the heat?
At any rate I wish I had Maries exercise program into my body. Keep up the good work MARIE. Food wise yesterday had no sad faces now that is an accomplishment. I even grilled some squash which was a bit charcoaled think I rushed it next time slower cooking time will help. I am having my 10 and 2 snack daily. Yesterday I did have red licorce but it could of been worse oh one itty bitty piece of dk choc. that satisfied my need and want. The little bagels in the a.m. are fast and easy. Today I started off with a boiled egg sliced on a raisin cinn. ended in 190 cals. I will munch on some fresh blueberries for my drive in. Work picnic this afternoon and I will try my best to make healthy choices.

Not so bad of a day really with a picnic from the company. I managed to stay with in my limits its was a little hard to count cals though. But instead of a roll that was big I had a small dinner roll with a little pulled pork and a piece of chicken,2 salt potatoes,. salad little dressing didn't eat the pasta salad did have fresh fruit and a 1 '' piece of cake I have to say though this evening I had a muskerter dk choc. mint bar mini size. Not so bad I figured just a little treat at the grocery store. Bought lots of veggies fresh fruit and goodies for sundays picnic. Had only a little turkey, ham and one half of flat bread for dinner. Will follow up with a little popsicle for a snack. My mood when I got home was swinging around so I think for the state it was in I have done good controling the munchies. I am taking a half of day of for a me day on friday I really need it. Just going to go do my own thing I think. What ever I feel like doing sometimes we deserve that. This week I feel its right on target. I am working on some jewelry projects. A designed by me necklace for my daughter and its really going to be pretty cool. Some of the stones I got in HI so it will be special.
Judy we will miss you and I love Vermont its only about 3 hrs. away from me.
Auntie G thanks for the quick idea for dinner some night.
Penny I will send all my prayers your way.
Take care everyone and for you whom have lost wt. this week HURRAY!!! I will use the scale in the morning hope I see movement in the right direction.

Carol, it sounds like you did pretty well for going to a picnic! I am fed up with going to cookouts every weekend for at least the past month. I weigh in on Saturdays and then I allow a little bit of a splurge that day, so I have all week to "get over" it. I'm tired of using my splurge days on potato salad - I want pizza, dang it! We finally have a break this weekend from the cookout circuit, so maybe my pizza dreams will come true...

Happy Friday!

Hi all, nasty day at work and it's continuing. So far up to a 12.5 hour day and no end in sight. So this is just a quick note to say hi and that I've logged my cals through the day and am on track. I did 3 miles WATP this morning. I doubt tomorrow morning as I don't think I'll ever get to leave here.
Marie

Girls I think I have lost my mind instead of wt. I have decided to buy myself a new scale. Crazy huh? This a.m. I did the ugly scale not too happy with the results but thats life suck it up and move on. Well so I decide after using the potty to use it again it had me with .5 lbs higher than a half an hr. ago. Now that is wild I had only a quarter of a cup of blk coffee. So one of my birthday gifts is a new scale how fun!!! Thought you'd like that one. Now I did have some processed lunch meat for dinner which tends to be salty so some of my issue could be that. This week I have been better and was hoping to see some changes. Guess I have to work harder huh? more exercise , less goodies really sticking to it.
Auntie G do you make pizza? Sometimes I do and actually want to make a grilled pizza. Making my own allows me to have a healthier pizza and what I want on it. Hope you get yours soon. They even have whole wheat pizza dough at our store which is better than white. Maybe tonight that will be a game plan. Also I have taken whole wheat pita put it in the oven on 400 for a bit maybe 5 min. then added the sauce etc. put it back in till the cheese melts. Not a bad thing and it hits my craving. Good luck! Just thought I would share some ideas.
Marie oh you poor thing. Work can be stressful and sounds like yours won the award this week. Hope you have a vac. coming soon. I am off after 11:00 today till tues. a.m. and looking forward to that. Its been a bit crazy lately but now with our new hire I am hoping it will get only better for awhile. I don't think I am going to the office today just doing site visits. The end of the month comes quickly and certain things have deadlines. Off to eat healthy for the day and get some exercise in. I am going to do the scale again on sunday morning. Hoping to see some change for the good. One can only hope the box likes what it sees. I am going to get something other than white this time maybe a digital? Anyone have a scale to recommend that they like better than another? Scale talk thats a new one!

Good Friday Morning! Yay!

Carol, yes, I do make healthier pizza sometimes, but I'm wanting a little bit of "real" pizzeria pizza. Mmmmm... I think it might have to wait until next weekend, but I'll survive.

I have a Health-O-Meter digital scale that I really like. I got it at Walmart a few years ago, and it couldn't have been too expensive. I can get on it several times in a row, and it will always say the same thing. That was my test for it since my last scale always changed its mind! It's still holding up well, and I haven't even had to replace the battery, so I think it was a good buy.

Marie, I hope you get a break from work! I only work 6 hour days, but it feels like 12 - lol. I should be getting ready to leave for work now, but find myself sucked into computer land...

Have a great day!

Hello chickies - just a quick note to let you know I'm doing ok after my surgery yesterday. It took about 2-1/2 hrs. and the doc said it went well. I'll know if that's true when the dressings are off. I'm on some pain pills and they are helping a lot. My DH is taking good care of me and it's nice to be a "lady of leisure" and waited on hand a foot! I get my dressings off next Tuesday, which will be great as I can't take a shower till then .

I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well and I'll catch up with personals asap.

Penny good to hear it went well. Think positive I am sure its going to be good news when the dressings are removed. Rest and enjoy being the queen its nice once in awhile to have such attention even under stressful times.
Auntie g I went to get one today. I decided not to get one with all the bells and whistles just too much for me to think about. So now hopefully at least 10 min later I wouldn't show a 1/2 lb. inc. with no food as of yet. Gee sounds like your past one had the same mind set as mine.
I did have a healthy breakfast, went to work for awhile then went to lunch and played for a bit. Home for homemade pizza which came out pretty good. I do also like a good italian pizza lately our pizza places haven't been the best always hit or miss so mostly I make ours. Then I went to swim and exercise in the pool next door for 45 min. oh it felt great. On saturday I will be going to the Adirondacks bear country to kayak in the wild. Oh its so pretty with the mountains all around you and the streams and river beds and lakes. So I will get some good exercise for sure. I aim to eat healthy as well so hopefully I can earn a smily face for the day. Take care leaving around 7 so I won't ck in just roll out of bed and pack up my paddles and the boat and off for an hour and half ride to the woods. Just beautiful country side I am going with my friend and her hubby. Its a bit to much for my hubby and his back is not so great. He can do it better in just the small lakes he is more comfortable and safer. Take care and have a super day.

Hi all,
Yes, it's Friday but I'm going to work this weekend - even at the office not from home. My co-worker and I knew this summer would b h*ll and it's living up to it. But I got so mad at him the 4:30 I walked out the door. I'll go back tomorrow but he was wasting my time.

Anyway, the pizza talk did it. I'm making pizza for dinner. Yummy!!! I make mine lo-cal like Auntie does. I know exactly how many cals mine have.

Carol, I had a wild reading scale - but it was because I'd had it on carpet. Moved it to the hard floor and it stopped that nonsense. I think mine is also a health-o-meter that I bought a little over two years ago. My almost DIL wanted my older one. But I liked it better as it weighed 3 pounds lighter.

Penny, I'm so glad the surgery went good. Hopefully the "girls" will e perfect and back in alignment. Enjoy the leisure as you kow it won't last.

Auntie, I wouldn't want my extra (flex) calories on potato salad either. Pizza sounds way better.

So yesterday when I got home, it was bed time and I still got up to exercise this morning. How amazing is that??? Food isn't as good today but within my limits as the cals were way low yesterday. My "flex" calories, right Auntie???? I went out to lunch and chose healthy but I'm sure there was hidden fat that I wouldn't have cooked with.

Judy, hope Vermont is great.

Well you all made me feelt better and I'm off to make pizza. DH will like that.
Marie

Happy weekend!

Official weigh-day, down 2.5 lbs today. Hurray! Still thinking about pizza, but now it's an official plan for next Saturday, so I'll just have to keep drooling for another week.

Today should be fairly on track. I have a birthday party for my nephew (turning 6) at McDonald's, but I do love their grilled chicken salads, so that should be fine. Next week this little nephew and my 4 year old niece will be coming to my house for a big event - we'll be watching the Hannah Montana 3-D concert movie (and getting pizza!)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Auntie g I took the gds to see that movie at a pop of 15 a piece. The 3 d glasses were cool do you get the same effect at home with using them? I have never done it. Sounds like a good time for all. It is quite good I even liked it.
Well as far as the scale and I go there needs to be some lower numbers before I am a happy camper. They are both in the same ball park. The thing is I really don't feel like my wt. has gone up to what these two are saying. And if it has wow and I guess this is it really getting on board with making some due changes. B day or not. Yesterday I went kayaking for over 4 hrs. about 1 and a half to two hrs. was paddling. But I had breakfast kind of on the higher side of things, lunch just a 140 cal. bar health and a vit. water. Dinner my friend and I shared half of each others so it wasn't so bad and I left the pasta one half of it behind. Nothing in the evening except for a piece of fruit. So all in all not over the limit? I have to say I am frustrated for sure. Today is a party for my daughter and I . I am going to have to watch myself for sure. Maybe the scale will scare me into really paying attenition to what goes in my mouth. But as I said there is no way lately I have really been over doing it. I am wondering if my thyroid is messed up at least that would be an easier fix. Gotta be thinking. I have a blood workup on the 29th but I am not sure I want to keep it or move it to down the road one more week. I hate to go in there and have her say my tri. chol. are up and I need a med as I was trying not to get that going before. So maybe I should give myself a break from going til the middle of August and really get strict with myself first. What do you all think. Could my paddling be building muscle that is making me heavier? I am pretty solid in my arms and shoulders in my face where I normally would show wt. gain nothing has changed. Oh I guess you can tell its making me mad!!!
Marie glad you having your pizza too. I was going to make some on the grill and never got to it. Next week I will make a healthy one on there with just veggies to try it out. I will get some whole wheat pizza dough.
Gotta go deal with my frustation!! And have a real healthy bowl of cereal.

Carol, it sounds like you're getting some serious exercise! Personally, I hate the idea of being on a long term drug, so I would (now) do whatever I had to do to stay off it. Actually, I was on a cholesterol drug before I lost weight the last time around, then I took myself off of it. Of course, when I gained back the weight, I never went back for bloodwork because I didn't want to go back on the meds. So I finally realized that I have to get this under control again!

I know it's not always being overweight that makes a person have high cholesterol, so you probably should get checked, but waiting another week or so probably won't make too much difference. Good luck!

I don't know how the 3-D glasses thing will be at home, but the kids are very excited that I got them. They were worried that we wouldn't have them. I think we will be doing a lot of dancing that night, so at least I'll get some exercise with my pizza - lol!

It is so hot and humid today, all I really want to do is go back to bed, but alas, the chores need to be done. I'm going to try to get to the pool later and get a little bit of water exercise going. I don't think I even care about food in this weather anymore - ugh!

Have a good day, everyone!